Zatch Bell: Another Story
by CertainDestiny
Summary: A Mamodo ridiculed for being different. His bookkeeper with a gift of her own. Both are plagued by emotional turmoil from their pasts. Watch as they encounter friends, comrades, and enemies and grow into a powerful team in this adventure. T for language.
1. Chapter 1: Pensiveness

**Beginning Author Notes**

Welcome to my first-ever Zatch Bell story, viewers, and I appreciate you taking the time to read it. This story, like a good amount of my stories, is OC-centered but that does not last for the entire duration. So, I guess this story CAN reach out to both sides of the fanfiction community, but my reception will dictate that. Anyway, please enjoy and tell me how I do.

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, and Shine.

**Chapter 1: Pensiveness**

"_What, too smart to good to school?"_

"_Do you have even anyone to be with? Are you some kind of outcast?"_

"_Hey, you! Don't ignore us! Stop acting so weird!"_

Those were only excerpts of the biting remarks he would receive due to his strange mannerisms. No known parents, homeland, or birthplace for someone of the Mamodo World would elicit drollness from the other Mamodo. It was like he was some sort of tourist attraction. For the majority of the time, he would turn a deaf ear, leave them with a cryptic remark, or nonchalantly keep going on with his daily rounds.

Though, such occurrences did not come without reflections on his past. That's what led him to a moonlit riverbed in the forest, watching the crystal blue water flow calmly downstream. Why did they tease him about it? What was so unnatural about him compared to the rest of society? All Mamodo were special or different in their own way, so why he was such an exception to his norm?

As his eyes—glassy, green, and resembling a pair of sunglasses or lenses—watched the water, his mind continued to ruminate. He certainly was not a regular humanlike Mamodo, but, at least he thought, he looked better than some of the monstrosities that shared the same species as him. He was only of a meager three foot and six inches in height. With no legs seen from underneath the hem of his black, completely buttoned trench coat, levitating indefinitely off the ground was one of his unique characteristics. His bowl-shaped face that was covered in off-white wraps furthered his anonymous visage. Lastly, he wore a black, bell-shaped hat over his oblong head.

He scratched the side of his head wonderingly with one of only three digits he had on his wrapped-up hands. With a vaguely audible grumble, he decided that Mamodo like them could not be understood. Nevertheless, he was thankful that his mind had fortitude to this maltreatment, so that he could continue wandering the Mamodo World and taking in new sights until there were no more.

"Now, what's an outcast like you doin' out here?"

He tensed up but dauntlessly turned his head to look at a group of three bullying Mamodo before him, his green eyes shadowed by the rim of his hat but his clothes reflecting the white light of the lunette object in the sky. "Minding my own business," he replied haughtily, "and so should you three."

"A typical response from this freak." the second one hissed. Behind his wraps, he raised arched a bow. This encounter was starting a little more different than the others. "I wonder if that's how they all act on his home planet." The same one continued.

"_What?" _He thought. What were they implying?

"Gotta be," the third and final bully finally spoke, "E the Alien Mamodo. A fitting moniker for an outcast and a freak."

"I'm not sure if he even is a Mamodo," the first one, apparently the leader, sneered, "I haven't seen him eat like one, act like one, or go to school like one."

The second one laughed viperishly, "Remember? E's got some crazy psychic power going on. He's too "special" to go to school like us normal— "

This was the first time these impossible people used this approach; a blatant attack on his mannerism, species, and origins. The Mamodo in question known as E for some time had prolonged his patience, made himself impervious to the verbal assaults. Now, that bastion broke. He could handle being teased for being different, but for being extraterrestrial was another subject altogether.

As the three bullies continued sneering and snickering, they did not notice E's green eyes flashing a dangerous dark pink. He poured his outraged emotions into this next course of action, and the results were pretty serious.

The trio of tormentors had no time to scream, or even react for that matter, before the area suddenly imploded from a strong and powerful force. The incident took place quickly yet effectively. The trees around them went bent out of shape, some had collapsed. The ground was fissured and deprived of grass or plant life. In the middle of the wreckage were the three bullies, motionless and unconscious.

Before them was E, whose lenses reverted back to their original glassy green color, looking at the result of letting his emotions loose expressionlessly. He honestly believed that his innate psychic abilities are what really made him a source of envious ridicule. His intelligence and natural powers increased because of it. Of course, there were drawbacks, and this was one of them.

E lifted up his right arm and motioned toward the motionless while keeping his distance. He started using another skill of his, the ability to rewrite and erase memories. It was a skill he _detested _with vigor, but he only used when absolutely necessary. When he finished depleting their memories of the encounter, E looked over his shoulder to the river to see it flowing just as carefreely and majestically as before.

With another slightly audible grumble, E levitated off, coming to the conclusion that even nature in its purest form was indifferent to the plight of Mamodo or any other intellectual creature.

However, such an event did not come without its merit. E found the resolve to train himself to keep his emotions under control as they dramatically affected how his psychic powers operated. He also developed the resolution to charitably help those enduring similar troubles to himself. The first couple of days were rather successful on both parts.

Then, the next major part of his life happened.

E was making his daily rounds again during the normal school hours for the rest of the Mamodo. He was exploring the earthy territory some miles off the riverbed he was at days prior. The orange twilight of the sunset permeated through the party cloudy sky and reflected those green eyes of E.

"So you're the one called E…"

E froze up just like that day he assaulted those three bullies. This time, the Mamodo that he was going to acquaint had a composed yet astringent tone. A stark contrast that made E absentmindedly get ready to defend himself via psychic means.

"Calm down. Those guys may have been my cohorts, but they weren't that important."

After that contumely, the Mamodo finally revealed himself to the psychic. Like he, the Mamodo was not human but at least anthropomorphic. Based on the number of spines and quills located on the back of his head and down his back, the Mamodo was most likely of a porcupine-like species. His whitish-blue fur coruscated the yellow-orange light of the setting sun, but his crossed arms and stoic countenance were uninviting. It was another contrast that made E wonder just what was the true nature of this Mamodo.

"So, they call you the Alien Mamodo…" He said as he walked slowly to the levitating psychic, his diamond-colored shoes crushing bits of stone. "An inaccurate statement, in all honesty." E replied warily. "Right…" The anthropomorphic porcupine drawled, "…My name is Shine, if you are wondering."

"Hmph." E huffed tersely. He would have reciprocated the introduction, if Shine had not already known who he was. Since that was the case, in his opinion, there was nothing else left to be said. Shine, on the other hand, was curious. The rumors circulating around after that event implored Shine to investigate the extent of the psychic's power. That was a rare case concerning Shine; not many things interested him other than what he desired.

And, for him to be satisfied, he would have to emulate the insensateness that caused E to do what he did those days back.

"Don't want to stay and talk?" Shine spoke callously, "You insensitive freak of nature." When the animal-like Mamodo saw E twitch ever so slightly, he continued his verbal barrage, "But I guess that's how people are at the planet you came from. Maybe that's how you have such a hard time—"

Shine could not finish his sentence as he felt a powerful force press against and cause the area around him to implode. The results of the apoplexy were identical to the last; the ground was fissured and scarred, and a crater was where Shine was standing.

E again was just looking at the wreckage he caused expressionlessly. He was about to leave until he heard that same tone of voice, albeit a bit more impressed, "An outcast never has that kind of power. So the rumors are just what they are—rumors."

"…_This Shine guy must be blessed…"_ E thought, dumbfounded, as he examined a relatively fine Shine standing in the crater. The only things he actually suffered from the attack were a large bleeding wound over his right temple, and a seemingly dislocated left shoulder. _"Shine has natural defense."_

"But being bound to the dimensions of the Mamodo World hampers our true potential, E," Shine continued speaking, popping his shoulder back into place, "So, I've come to tell you that you, along me with and ninety-eight other Mamodo, are being sent to the Human World for the title of the throne."

E had heard about the Mamodo Fight, but to actually be a participant in it was shocking to say the least. "And whoever you get and whatever kind of book you get," Shine demanded challengingly, "Make sure they're safe until you meet me where we can fight truly as rivals!"

When the fight was underway, motivated by rivalry, E and Shine survived until they encountered each other one fateful day. E was ultimately defeated by Shine, and his book got burned. Shine disappointedly scoffed at him, saying he was pathetically weak and would have been a better opponent in the Mamodo World. When E was finally sent back in the Mamodo World, learning and experiencing practically nothing, he resumed his former lifestyle. Yet, his defeat at the hands of Shine would haunt the back of his psyche, for there was nothing he could really do about the strong guy, and he knew that.

All that occurred one thousand years ago.

* * *

><p>Ageless but maturing, all E could do was watch the time pass by like a blur and the new generation of Mamodo crop up and develop before his every eyes. As new people replaced the old, except for him, new waves of verbal abusers came up—apparently, they descended from the ones he experienced.<p>

Thankfully, because he was fully mature, E finally gained the emotional tolerance to these taunts that he craved one thousand years back. Mimicking his old self, he waved them off nonchalantly and went about his business.

That is, until yet another day came up, where he discovered this generation was more violent than the others.

E was at the beach this time, the daytime sun showing off its beauty in entirety. Using telekinesis, he tossed stones across the water and watched in amusement as they skipped across the surface before finally sinking.

"Well, if it isn't E the extraterrestrial!"

E hung his head in annoyance. These kinds of encounters were getting really, really, _really _old. Night, twilight, or day, these people would always somehow find him. To make matters worse, because he was ageless, none of the new generation of Mamodo knew E was about one thousand years old. For all they knew, he was just like the rest of them.

E turned to them and replied the three Mamodo, "Go away. I'm not in the mood for your boring banter." After making that irritated remark, E proceeded to float away.

The leading Mamodo, along with his two cronies, gritted their teeth, "Where do you think you're going?" He darted for E while his back was turned and readied to deliver an effective sucker punch on the psychic Mamodo.

"Let him go where he wants to." A calm voice said authoritatively, followed by the leader being abruptly kicked in the face by a grey shoe. After the leader fell onto the sound and recovered from the sudden attack, he shot a glare at his assailant, "Hey! Don't bug us—" He and his other two partners in crime were reduced to unintelligible gibberish when they fully registered who they were dealing with.

The male Mamodo was in his teenage years, exactly seventeen years of age, and of a respectable 5'9" height. His platinum-colored cloak flowed in the daytime sea breeze, and so did strands of his roughly chin-length silver hair. The bangs of his hair were longer on the left side of his face, so the right side of his face—including a red-violet eye full of seriousness—was entirely visible, but his left eye peeked through some strands. His arms were crossed over the chest of his white shirt.

"Y-Y-You..You're…It's Nylon!" The trio of bullies sputtered out and burst into a cowardly retreat, knowing full-well who this Nylon person was.

All the while, E was engrossed interestedly in the scene. It delighted him to see those types of Mamodo flee in fear; before long, if something like that happened to bullies all the time, he surmised that bullying would cease to continue.

"Sorry for taking your prey," Nylon turned to E with a smile, the sea breeze dying down so that his cloak would again shroud his shirt, arms, and most of his slightly baggy silver pants, "I had to do something; cheap shots don't follow the code of chivalry." E casually replied, "All is good. If it isn't for you, they would have been sent to a mental asylum." Nylon and E then shared a hearty laughter together, already finding a sort of symmetry to each other.

From then on, Nylon and E acquainted and spent time with each other considerably. Pretty soon, the two became best friends, marking the first time that E actually had a positive relationship with someone. E soon discovered why Nylon was so eminent: he was the founder of a chain of orphanages and nurseries for both young and old Mamodo. As much as Nylon was feared by some he was also revered by just as much.

Even though E continued to leave his lifestyle, gratuitously, he sometimes assisted Nylon in his affairs with his business. As a result, E actually met a good amount of other Mamodo. Finally, after one thousand grueling years, his life got better. He was utterly relieved. He had shouldered the burden of enduring verbal abuses just because he was supposedly outside the norm. Now, with friends and comrades like Nylon around, E finally felt like he belonged.

E examined the angular building before thoughtfully. It was an interesting work of architecture without a doubt because it was differently built from other schools. E almost chuckled at the thought of comparing himself to this school. But now, he focused himself on the objective he was given. One of Nylon's associates asked to get him from the high school he attended.

"How Nylon manages to balance school and business is beyond me." E mumbled to himself and he floated through school grounds, "Not to mention he also finds and deals with all those orphans and elders. What kind of military training did he do when he was younger? Or does it have to do with that code of chivalry?"

"I don't believe it. E the Alien actually entered a school."

If E was near any lockers, he certainly would have banged his cranium, hidden by that black fitting hat of his, against it repeatedly. Instead, he opted to face whoever his oppressors were this time. To his mild surprise, it was the same three Mamodo Nylon took care of at the beach back then, accompanied by two newcomers.

E idly looked at the clock over yonder and deadpanned, "Skipping class while school is still in session? Typical behavior for degenerates."

"Oh, great, he's been hanging around with Nylon too much!" the first new guy of the group groaned aloud. "I know, right? Now they're talking just like each other." the second newcomer said grumbly.

"No matter," the leader said, "This time, he ain't around to protect him. He's all ours now, boys."

E scoffed, "I'm giving you one and one chance only to leave. I will attack out of self-defense, and my attacks will be more severe than Nylon's."

"Tch. He's awfully cocky for an alien Mamodo." One of the thugs said vindictively, "Especially when he thinks Nylon and those other orphans are still his friend."

"_What?" _E found his mind racing without rest. Something about that statement riled his blood.

The leader smirked at his companion that made that remark, "Oh, yeah! Good point! E hasn't realized that Nylon being his friend is purely out of pity."

"No one wants to be friends with a freak from outer space!"

"The same goes for all the people he's met and befriended. They think so, too!"

"I think even E knows it, but is too much of a punk to admit!"

Now E knew why. No matter what, the teasing and tormenting would always find innovative ways to reach the inner depths of his mind…no, his heart. Each stinging remark about his friends and the people he knew was like a lance stabbing into each of the four chambers of his heart. He knew it wasn't true; Nylon and the others would have rejected from day one if that was the case. These bullies were going to pay. They dare had the audacity to tell him such lies.

For the first time in one thousand years, E's psychic power went out of control. His green lenses turned pink, and then that area of school suddenly imploded. And just like then, it happened as quickly as it started.

E's eyes reverted back to their original green color and saw the five bullies lying on the ground motionlessly just like those three from one thousand years ago. "Hmph. Serves you right." He said but then instantly regretted when he noticed his surroundings. His psychic powers had done damage to the school, concert and metallic detritus flown haphazardly everywhere. This damage, in addition to the fissures and the crater in the ground, would take weeks to repair.

He was very fortunate that he and the bullies were the only ones in that part of the school. He realized this was the first time his powers had gone out of control in one thousand years _and _that it happened in a public place. Even after so long, people could still affect him mentally and emotionally with the right words. He inwardly cursed his temperament. He could even easily done something stupid—if this wasn't considered stupid already. To add to the horror, he could have sworn the bullies were now labeled as crippled in that crater.

He shook his head and curtly brushed off the serious situation. But before he could take his leave, he heard a shocked voice before, "E…D-Did you do that?" It was then E noticed that Nylon and a couple of people were looking at the scene, mouths wide and eyes dilated in disbelief.

"_No…" _E thought with dread. This would surely confirm his reputation as a freak. He really had done something stupid. Hastily, E outstretched both of his arms to the group who recoiled in shock, thinking they were E's next targets. All the psychic Mamodo did was erase their memories of the scene—all except Nylon for some strange psychological reason. When the process completed, everyone except Nylon fell into unconsciousness.

Nylon couldn't believe his eyes whatsoever. E could not be this kind of savage. He wanted answers, but his mouth could not perform the proper words. The only thing that actually managed out was, "E…" Promptly, E floated off right as when Nylon regained the ability to speak. "E! Hold up!" Nylon called out to him, but the psychic was gone in a flash.

E, by some add chance of fate, wound up back in the same riverbed that night one thousand years ago. Finding seclusion, he allowed this to be the place where he could calm down. As he looked at the water flow, not having changed a bit since then, E still adhered to his belief that nature still did not care about one's problems.

"_Why…Just why?" _E thought irritably.

Just then, the psychic Mamodo heard the soft padding of feet against the grass. Someone was approaching him, but someone docile and nice; because if it was a bully, they would have started off more forwardly. "May I help you?" E asked, turning his head slightly to gaze at his accompaniment.

"Uh, hi there. I'm Zatch Bell." A blonde boy wearing a blue cloak greeted, stopping to the side of E as if they were friends. "Hmph. Hello." E responded, wishing the blonde boy would leave already. He knew the reason why he bothered to come up to him.

"I saw from a distance what you just did," Zatch said.

"Sorry you had to." E replied lugubriously, turning back to the river. "So they call you the Alien Mamodo." Zatch continued to speak, "Those bullies are something else, aren't they?"

"…" E stayed silent because he was trying to figure out what was this boy's intention. He was talking to him as if this was a casual conversation between them. "I get bullied a lot too," Zatch admitted solemnly, "They always call me a crybaby too…"

"Those who shed the most tears merit righteousness." E said sagaciously. He then mentally gasped; that proverbial statement came out of nowhere. It was like a sudden impulse. What could have caused that?

"You really think so?" Zatch said brightly, his golden-orange eyes shimmering. Having no other choice, he had to continue off that, "Tests and trials develop a person. Before long, you and I will be rid of this torment one way or another."

"Even so!" Now it was Zatch's turn to say something wise, "We can endure it. Besides, we got friends who are always on our side." That was something E could not argue against. What vexed was that how did this boy, Zatch, manage to lift him out of his disgruntled mood. He approached him arbitrarily, with no regard about his "reputation," and used little but powerful words that reached him. Did this kid have some kind of special essence about him?

Regardless, E decided the least he could do was give in return that kindness. "I apologize; I never told you my name. I am E." Zatch smiled, "Nice to meet you, E!" E nodded, since the blonde body could not see his smile, and then turned to his attention back to the river just in time to see yellowtail jumping out.

"Oh boy! Yellowtail!" Zatch exclaimed excitedly, eyeing his favorite meal predatorily. "Leave this to me." E volunteered before extending out his right arm. The next time two yellowtails popped from the surface, E telekinetically caught them in midair and brought the two fish over to him and Zatch. "Eat up." He tossed the blonde his yellowtail and brought a hand up his wraps.

"Thanks, E!" Zatch said appreciatively and immediately started tearing through the meat and skin of the yellowtail with his teeth. He only stopped when a loud, sudden chomp came from beside him. E was readjusting his wraps around his face to their original way and tossed aside the bony remains of his yellowtail. "Surprised I'm an organic Mamodo after all?" He questioned when he saw Zatch looking at him.

"Nope," Zatch responded earnestly, "I knew from the beginning you were a Mamodo, like me, except with weirder-looking clothes." E chuckled heartily, "You're too kind, Zatch Bell." The psychic Mamodo then noticed Zatch had finished his yellowtail off relatively quick as well and proposed, "Ready for seconds?"

"You bet I am!" Zatch exclaimed happily, and proceeded to retrieve the yellowtail this time after throwing his cloak in E's face.

* * *

><p>"E! E! Where are you?" Nylon shouted, his voice amplified by his hands that were on either side of his mouth. It had been at least thirty minutes since the endeavor at his high school, and E was nowhere to be found after he fled. "Where could the guy have gone?"<p>

"Looking for me?"

Nylon swiftly turned around and got in a battle stance but relaxed when he saw it was just his psychic friend. "Ooh, E, I was getting ready to punch you full of holes." The orphanage and retirement home owner said humorously.

"I apologize for making you jump," E said, "And I also apologize for destroying that part of your school."

"That's all water under the bridge, E." Nylon stated while nodding, "Those guys had no business messing with a guy like you anyway." E sighed in relief as his pose slumped slightly, "Phew. Thanks, that relieves me…"

"Although…"

E looked at Nylon curiously and scratched his head wonderingly when the seventeen-year-old was looking at him seriously. "You're gonna need all the power you can get, E," Nylon stated, "You and me are only but two are the one hundred Mamodo chosen to participate in the Mamodo Fight for the title of king."

That was news he hadn't heard in one thousand years. But the last Mamodo Fight he participated in did not end very well in his case. E looked up to the sky and recalled the conversation he had with Zatch concerning people like them.

"E?" Nylon asked, blinking. He expected a different sort reaction that was aligned toward shock. But then again, this was E; he was different from the rest.

"Nylon." E spoke sternly, now looking at the silver-haired male, "Mark my words. When I become king, his world will promote nothing but harmony and stability among all types of Mamodo."

He knew this Mamodo Fight would end differently than last time. He had resolve, a purpose, the friends, and the mindset. He finally put the past behind him and was only interested in the future.

Now, he hoped that his future bookkeeper and partner would serve him better than his last one.

**Ending Author Notes**

And that's the end of the prologue, introducing the main Mamodo of the story, E. This story will take place during the actual Zatch Bell storyline (if you hadn't guess that already).

So how did I do? Bad, good, or meh? Let me know so I can improve or maintain my pace. Remember that this is my first Zatch Bell story ever.

Adios and Adieu for now!


	2. Chapter 2: So It Begins

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Harumi Kisamaru. Izo Uramori, Myriam, and Mystrael.

**Chapter 2: So It Begins**

He certainly was lasting longer than one thousand years ago, that's for sure. And, luckily, he didn't have to travel halfway around the world like last time just to find the human.

E was currently watching the morning flux of people, traffic, and everything related to the sort. The small breeze in the air made loose portions of his trench coat flow like a curtain. Watching the scenery from his position above in a terrace was something he rarely got to do back then. In his honest opinion, the Human World had much more to offer than the humdrum Mamodo World.

Fate had brought him to the artificial island of Odaiba in an island country called Japan. It amazed him how technologically advanced these humans were. Perhaps he might consider negotiating with Nylon to revolutionize his chain of businesses just to add a little something to the Mamodo World. After all, since he thought nature didn't care of his or anyone else's plight, it shouldn't care if he used the natural lands to further the Mamodo species.

"Alright, E, I'm heading out for school!"

Here comes E's bookkeeper right now, out of one of the large room apartment rooms she lived in with her parents. Out of the door to the living quarters that might as well be considered a house in itself came a sixteen-year-old teenager of typical feminine stature for her age. Her black hair—which had a brownish tint to it—was braided, making it roughly shoulder-length. Her attire consisted of a dark pink, sleeveless shirt and denim jeans with simple pink and white tennis shoes.

"Have fun, Angelica." E said as he and his bookkeeper, identified by him as Angelica, began making their way to the floor level of the terrace. "I don't know if I can, but I'll try," Angelica chuckled but then frowned, "And how many times do I have to say this, E? Call me Ang."

"I prefer actual names as opposed to nicknames." E responded, floating in tune with Angelica's walking. Angelica huffed, "Fine; have it your way."

The partners made it to the sidewalk at the base of the terrace within a minute. Angelica then spoke afterwards, "Alright, E. You know the drill. School ends for me at 2:55. Be home behind then."

E nodded uninterestedly, "You and your parents have already drilled your routines into my mind. I know what to do." Angelica huffed again, this time at E's pococurante remark, "If you say so, smarty pants. But just remember this." At this point, the dark-haired teenager reached into the back of her backpack, unzipped a compartment of it, and displayed the top half of a puce spellbook to the psychic Mamodo, "Give me a call if you're in danger, and I'll help you with this."

E shook his head indignantly, "I can't interrupt your school hours for my own plight. You need to focus on a successful scholastic career." Angelica sighed as she put the spellbook back in her backpack, "Fine. But seriously, don't hesitate to call. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'll keep that in mind." E replied. This caused Angelica to smile, "Great! I'll show you this afternoon!" With that, the two partners went their separate ways, going opposite directions down the sidewalk. Angelica was on her way to the high school she attended while E was on his way to the bus terminals to catch a free ride off Odaiba.

* * *

><p>It always took about an hour or so to get to Mochinoki Park, but it was better to kill time as Angelica and her parents did their daytime occupations rather than sit home bored out of his mind.<p>

Mochinoki Park, especially during the weekdays, was rather empty and quiet. Unlike the bustling artificial island, it provided him a place to think and try to develop his psychic powers. He got this far in the battle, so he knew he needed more strength in order to continue surviving and become king.

"AHH! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

E groaned aloud; looks like he would have to find another place in Mochinoki. Before he actually got the chance to float away, the psychic mamodo caught a blur of golden yellow flash past the corner of his eyes. It looked familiar, so he decided to investigate a little.

When he entered the playground portion of the park, he saw a blonde boy in a blue cloak being chased around by a girl, who had a serious case of overbite in both rows of her teeth, in a toy vehicle.

"COME ON, NAOMI! QUIT DOING THIS TO ME AND VULCAN!" The blonde boy cried pathetically as he continued to run away from the laughing girl. E stared at the scene until he suddenly remembered something about the terrified boy. "It's him…" the psychic Mamodo mumbled wistfully, "Zatch Bell…"

Deciding to help the young Mamodo in need, E psychically picked up a stone that was on the ground near him. He took careful aim—he was targeting one of the wheels to the rapidly moving vehicle that belonged to Naomi. A second later, the stone whizzed toward the front left wheel and nailed it perfectly, knocking it slightly off its axis and causing it to effectively to but badly crash.

Zatch heard the crash and turned around in wonder, "Wh-Whoa." He gaped, but then heard Naomi start to get out of her overturned vehicle, a sound that of a mixture between a growl and groan audible. Figuring the girl assumed Zatch to be the culprit of his action, E swiftly levitate to Zatch, snatched him while covering his mouth, and took refuge in nearby pushes.

Inside the shrubbery, Zatch squirmed fearfully because everything was happening so unexpectedly. "Stop that and be quiet. She'll go away." E whispered quietly to him. Zatch ceased squirming, mostly paralyzed with fear at seeing Naomi's enraged eyes looking frantically around the playground for him. Eventually, the bucktoothed female decided to check another part of the park and walked away.

E removed his hand from Zatch's mouth, came out of the bushes, and announced, "There. You're safe now, Zatch." The blonde boy energetically jumped out after him and said his thanks, "Oh, thank you so much! Naomi always does that to me, but boy, I'm glad you got here before Vulcan and I got hurt!"

It was then E noticed Zatch was carrying a rather slipshod but simple contraption in his hand. He was unsure of what to say or think about it, so he shook his head slightly and said nothing else. "But how did you know my name?" Zatch suddenly asked, titling his head to the side.

E stared at Zatch, his wraps and lenses masking his disbelief in totality, "You don't remember me, Zatch? It's me, E." Zatch looked at the sky and fingered his chin thoughtfully, "E…E…E…" He mumbled the psychic's name repeatedly, searching through his memory banks.

"Nope! Never heard of you!" Zatch announced innocently, looking back at him. E felt a nerve snap inside of him and his invisible brow twitched in agitation, but he remained externally calm. "I'm from the Mamodo World, Zatch. Does that ring a bell?" E continued.

Now that he mentioned the Mamodo World, Zatch was able to give him a response that satisfied him at least. "If it's the Mamodo World you're talking about, I lose my memories about there. Maybe that's why I can't remember you."

"Oh." E responded tersely and nodded curtly, "That explains everything."

"So you're a Mamodo too, E?" Zatch asked for confirmation, and E did so by nodding again; "Wow. Mamodo seem to be coming out of nowhere nowadays." E titled his side to the side and asked curiously, "What do you mean?"

"I've met and battled many Mamodo with my partner, Kiyo, for a long time," Zatch answered, "Right now…this evil guy named Milordo-Z has gathered these Mamodo from one thousand years ago, and Kiyo, me, and others are going to South America to put an end to him."

E felt a pang of jealousy that he swatted away. Zatch was so lucky to get that much action. "Serious business, I see." The blonde boy asked, "So, E, where are you from? Never seen you around here before."

"I'm from Odaiba, the hometown of my bookkeeper, Angelica Tsukoro." E answered. Since it seemed Zatch didn't mind disclosing information about things related to the battle and his bookkeeper, E decided to be nice and reciprocate that. Not like he and Zatch were going to fight each other any time soon.

"Odaiba?" Zatch blinked, "Never heard of that place before."

E shook his head, "It's a long ways from here. Angelica has school until about 2:55 PM, so I kill time here at Mochinoki until it's time for me to return."

"Hey! Kiyo has school now, too!" Zatch exclaimed childishly, "But he's such a meanie; he won't let me go to school with him."

E refrained from rolling his eyes, _"I imagine why." _

"AH-HA! I knew you were still around here, Zatch!" A voice with a strange lisp shouted, causing Zatch to cower because he recognized it. Much to both of the Mamodo's dismay, Naomi had returned and, based on the piercing glints in her eyes, was ready to initiate payback for the destruction to her toy vehicle.

"AHH! SHE CAME BACK!" Zatch hollered fearfully, tears spraying out of his eyes like hoses.

"_Got a place we can hide out for the time being?" _

Zatch stopped his worrying, despite the fact that Naomi was approaching him dangerously, because he could have sworn that was E's voice he just heard. _"It is my voice; it's telepathy," _E answered the boy's thoughts, _"Now unless you don't want to look like Dame of Dentures over there, answer me quickly."_

"Say your prayers, Zatch! You and your weird friend!" Naomi stated icily.

Then, E reacted quickly by grabbing Zatch's blonde locks—since his head was more level to his arms then the cloak—and levitated off in a hurry. "OW OW OW OW! YOU'RE PULLING MY HAIR, E!" Zatch cried out. "Don't we all get our hair pulled once in a while?" E casually responded as he zoomed through the crevices of the shrubbery and trees in the park. At the speeds he was going, E knew assuredly that a simple human being like Naomi could not pursue them on foot.

Eventually, Zatch and E arrived at the small hideout the former created in case Naomi was prowling about the playground. It was a simple hut made out of a large cardboard box up against a cliff wall. "Isn't this the sort of thing homeless people live in?" E remarked prudently, his eyes examining the blonde's primitive setting.

"Well, at least it works!" Zatch said as he sat down on the green blanket. E said nothing else as he looked at the row of contraptions much similar to that of Vulcan. The psychic could only sweatdrop, thinking that Zatch was definitely a true-blue child of the Mamodo World.

As E continued his soundless perusing, Zatch finally noticed that E was floating off the ground. He could not see any sort of legs or extensions from underneath his trench coat. The blonde Mamodo got curious as to what was actually there. Zatch inched his head steadily toward the hem of the trench coat, his anticipation rising for each inch he got closer.

Just when he was about to catch a peek, piercing green lenses suddenly met his golden orange eyes. "What are you doing?" E asked him plainly but firmly. Zatch tensed up and returned to his original spot, "N-N-Nothing, E!" E shook his head, knowing the boy was lying, but made no big deal about it.

A notable laconism occurred between the psychic and the boy. All Zatch did was mess with Vulcan while E was just floated in his spot contemplating matters. After about a good, long eight minutes, E finally made a subject to a conversation. "Zatch…You mentioned something about…a person named Milordo-Z. Who is he or she exactly?"

Zatch, somewhat surprised that the reticence was broken, answered E, "Milordo-Z…Well, he's just plain evil, forcing mamodo from one thousand years ago to fight for his own purposes. He doesn't even care what happens to them, or the hypnotized bookkeepers of some mamodo."

"Unforgivable, indeed." E replied dryly but earnestly. He was also weighing if it was a good idea to offer his help in the battle…but in his and Angelica's current condition, it would probably be best not to. "Yes," Zatch continued; his voice had gotten a slight edge of seriousness to it, "That's why my friends and I are going to stop this once and for all!"

"Well, I wish you good luck. You have my support." E said sincerely. Zatch looked at the psychic Mamodo with hopeful eyes and a smile, "Hey! You're a Mamodo, too, right? Why don't you come help us?"

E tensed up; Zatch had asked the question he just asked himself. "Um…I don't think in my partner and I's current state we would get very far. We're not all that strong at this point in the battle." E explained. Zatch turned somber and let out a slightly audible "Oh" in response.

"However," E spoke again, "When I do get strong enough, I'll let you now. Perhaps we can have a friendly spar to gauge each other's strengths?"

Zatch brightened up at the notion and stood up, "Sure thing! I'll do anything to become a kind king!" E raised an invisible eyebrow and said, "A kind king?"

"Oh, that's right. I never told you what kind of king I wanted to be. Yes, I want to be a kind king." Zatch expounded, "One that wants to stop all the fighting so that no Mamodo can get hurt. No more sorrow, just happiness!"

Now that was certainly a peculiar move to become king. E usually thought that the Mamodo in the current fight wanted to be kings for the perks, for the authority above others. Of course, E himself was an exception but he was relieved to find someone else different. "Ah. A very noble motive, indeed, Zatch." E stated.

Zatch looked at E hopefully again as a means of rebounding the question back to him. Apparently, he was curious to hear of E's motives as well. "I'm in this fight to become a king that promotes harmony and equality among all species of Mamodo." the psychic answered.

"That's great, E." Zatch said with a nod, "That means you and I are fighting for similar reasons. From now on, you're apart of my group of friends that will try and change the Mamodo World!"

E refrained from chuckling. From what he gathered from their first meeting back in the Mamodo World, E thought it was typical Zatch Bell to make these sorts of statements. Not that he minded. "That's nice," E then changed the subject, "But can we please get out of this hideout of yours? I'm getting claustrophobic."

"Fiiine!" Zatch then unexpectedly grabbed E's right hand, "Come on! Let's go into the city! I'm sure there's things you haven't seen that are there!" E could nothing but chuckle helplessly as Zatch dashed out faster than when they escaped the wrath of Naomi.

* * *

><p>"<em>Curse this stupid lecture…" <em>Angelica thought disdainfully as she looked out the window, lightly tapping the eraser of her pencil on her notebook. Sometimes it didn't pay to be all in honor classes, especially when her most important ones were near dismissal. As a result, today being one of those cases, it was past 2:55, and she confirmed it by looking at the clock right outside the windows. _"E's probably wondering where I am."_

Tearing her attention away from the window, Angelica looked around the silver and room classroom that housed students of the AP Science & Physics class. All honor students like herself had the option of wearing regular clothes or the school uniform non-honor students had to wear. So, naturally the attire—and attention span—of the students were all fairly general. For the moment, though, she focused on her friends.

Across from her in the same row was a brunette male wearing a green and white skull cap, his pale pink eyes transfixed on a PSP that he was playing in his lap—the professor could not see it because an open notebook around the PSP prevented so. He was wearing a collared white shirt, blue jeans, and black Adidas. Angelica shook her head while smiling slightly; Curtis Herrakoro would also find time to play another sort of video game, even in class—it amazed her that he hasn't been caught once the entire school year.

Right sitting in the seat in front of Angelica was a blonde, blue-eyed girl whose hair was tied into a high ponytail and had two bangs framing her fair-skinned face. Like Curtis, she was preoccupied with something else, and that was writing in her journal. She was one of the few honor students in the class to wear the uniform for females: a silver and black sailor fuku with matching silver skirt. Despite how airheaded Harumi Kisamaru could be, Angelica was glad to be her friend, especially when she needed extra notes for class she missed.

Angelica looked over her shoulder to look at the last of her closest friends. Sitting in the very back of the row right beside her own was another male with smooth, flat ash grey hair and aqua green eyes. He was wearing a Mandarin-style, cadet grey shirt with aqua green linings along the buttons and collar, and dark denim jeans. Angelica couldn't believe that Izo Uramori could still pay attention in class to very last second, but that was one of the many endearing traits about him she liked very much.

Because of his attentiveness, Izo was able to notice Angelica staring back at him. He smiled and waved at her. A small rosy tint washed across Angelica's cheeks before she returned the gesture.

Finally, a rhythmic, electronic sounded throughout the school grounds. "Alright, class, have a nice weekend." The professor said as the class got up from their seats and bowed.

Angelica exhaled in relief as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "Oh my goodness! Why do they, like, keep us so late sometimes, especially on Fridays?" Harumi whined childishly. Angelica chuckled, "We're honor students, Harumi. They expect more out of us."

Curtis came over, most of his attention still on his video game, and distractedly added, "Too much out of us." Completing the circles of friends, Izo walked over and propositioned to them, "Hey, since it's Friday, how about we all go hang out tonight?"

"Can't." Angelica announced, "I need to get home as soon as possible. This late dismissal for today of all days was unprecedented on my schedule's part." Harumi narrowed her eyes pryingly at Angelica, "Does this schedule of yours include studying?" She asked.

Angelica avoided eye contact with the female blonde as she nervously drawled out, "Um…More than likely."

"Ang, your entrance exams aren't until three weeks from now," Curtis said. saving his video game and turning it off. "Now, now," Izo defended, "Ang is trying to make sure she'll be unquestioningly accepted. You can't blame her." Harumi could do nothing but pout as she mumbled, "Of course."

With that, they—along with other lingering classmates—finally exited the building. Some, most likely because of extracurricular activities, stayed behind on campus grounds while others—like Harumi, Curtis, and Izo—left to begin their weekend.

Angelica looked at the clock on the courtyard once more to see that it was now 3:18. _"I'd better check and see if E's at home, waiting for me." _With that, she closed her eyes and concentrated, only to open them back up in confusion; _"He's not? That hasn't happened since we first started with routine."_

* * *

><p>"Ahh~ That was some good yellowtail!" Zatch said contently as he lied lazily on the grassy slope before a sidewalk. "A voracious appetite, indeed…" E mumbled, still in disbelief at how Zatch could stomach so much fish in one serving.<p>

Zatch and E had been in the city for the day now, the former mainly giving the latter the grand tour of Mochinoki. Zatch even took the liberty of introducing E to Ponygon at Kiyo's house, and even went as far as talking about the other Mamodo and bookkeepers that were his friends. And after going to the river and fishing out food, the two returned to the park to relax.

"Hey, E, do you know what time is it?" Zatch inquired as he sat up. E looked at the sunset to conjecture the approximate time of day, and realization then struck him. "Oh, hell. It's past 2:55 now. Angelica told me to be at home!" He groused, mentally slapping himself for being unable to keep up with the time. "Ah! That means Kiyo is probably out of school now too!" Zatch fretted as well.

"Calm down, you two."

"Everything's okay."

E and Zatch turned around and, to their disbelief, saw both of their respective bookkeepers before them. "Kiyo?" Zatch blinked. "Angelica?" E scratched the side of his head.

"We met each other on the way here. And that was about ten minutes ago," Kiyo answered. "It didn't take long for either of us to realize we had Mamodo," Angelica added, "Though, I didn't expect the circumstances of us meeting would be like this."

"As sudden as that is, it saves the trouble of Zatch and I having to introduce you two to each other." E said and then looked at his bookkeeper, "And I apologize for making you come all this way to Mochinoki, Angelica…"

"It's fine, E." Angelica said smilingly, "I had a late dismissal anyway, and I see you and Zatch were having fun together. So I don't mind."

"Now this means I can get back home and have some of Kiyo's mom yummy cooking!" Zatch celebrated as he approached his bookkeeper. "Just try to cause that much of a fuss," Kiyo told him, "I have homework." Zatch argued, "You have all weekend to homework!" Kiyo argued back, "I want to get it out of the way before I forget!"

Angelica giggled at the two; they acted like brothers. E shook his head and said, "Kiyo, Zatch, it's probably best that Angelica and I get back to Odaiba before it gets too dark. It was nice meeting you both."

Kiyo looked at both of them contemplatively as Zatch responded, "Nice meeting you two, too! Please come back soon!" Finally, Angelica and E started their journey back to Odaiba. As they left, Kiyo continued to look at them, _"…Should I ask them to come with us to South America…? No, it's too soon; we're leaving for South America pretty soon. They probably have plans of their own."_

Just then, Kiyo felt an unexpected tug that nearly made him fall over. "Come on, Kiyo! It's time to go home!" Zatch whined as he started forcing Kiyo the way to his house. "H-HEY, ZATCH! CUT IT OUT!" Kiyo said frantically.

Little did anyone that was there knew, they were being watched the whole time.

"So, it seems we finally have a lead, Myriam." An eighteen-year-old female Mamodo said. She was wearing pure black clothing: a black cloak, black hakama, and a long-sleeved black shirt. A black beret rested upon her head where hip-length black hair flowed from.

"Yes, Mystrael. Sometimes it pays to just sit back and watch such interesting people interact." Myriam said as Mystrael looked at her with plain white eyes. Myriam was a twenty-two-year-old woman with dark violet hair tied up inside a straw sun hat. She wore a black and white segmented dress and black hakama.

"Mm. Let's move on." Mystrael suggested. "Okay." Myriam said as she closed her crimson eyes in order to accumulate a small amount of heart energy. The lavender grey spellbook in her hands that were behind her back started to glow, "Maboruk."

In a swift, dark streak, the two mysterious women disappear without a trace.

* * *

><p>"Mom, I'm home!" Kiyo announced as he and Zatch entered the Takamine abode. "Welcome home, Kiyo!" Kiyo's mom said happily, from the kitchen, as Ponygon greeted Zatch by licking his face affectionately.<p>

"Yes, Kiyo; welcome home, indeed!" An entirely different, male voice greeted afterward. It was unexpected, but Kiyo knew who the voice belonged to, and it was in the living room. "Oh, Dr. Riddles." Kiyo said, entering the leaving room and seeing the professor that knew everything along with his Mamodo, Kido—who was eating some of Mrs. Takamine's cooking.

"I apologize for stopping by on such short notice." Dr. Riddles said seriously, "But I wanted to make sure if preparations for our trip to South American were in order." Kiyo, turning serious himself, nodded in response, "Yeah. Now all there is for everyone else to get ready themselves so that Apollo can fly us to Deboro Ruins."

"It sure took you two a long time to get here today." Kido finally spoke after finishing his meal, "Why was that?" Zatch answered as he walked up beside Kiyo after playing with Ponygon, "Oh, that's because I was with this other Mamodo named E, and we met his bookkeeper Angelica."

At the mention of the psychic Mamodo, Kido's face blanched notably, "D-D-D-Did you j-just say E?" Dr. Riddles, Kiyo, and Zatch looked at the scholarly boy in confusion. "What's wrong, Kido?" Dr. Riddles asked him. "Z-Zatch, you just met E the Alien Mamodo!" Kido said frantically, "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Not a clue." Zatch said innocently, blinking. Kiyo was just as skeptical as his partner; although E was floating two or three feet off the ground and definitely stood out as a Mamodo due to his appearance, he couldn't be an extraterrestrial whatsoever. Scientifically speaking, the actual appearance of an alien was never confirmed.

"Well, what's wrong with him?" Kiyo asked curiously. "He's scary and creepy and he's these weird powers!" Kido fretted childishly. Kiyo resisted the urge to slap his forehead, "_Like that isn't a commonplace excuse nowadays."_

"Alright, dinner's ready!" Mrs. Takamine announced as she placed the food on the table. Without warning, Zatch and Kido started devouring the delicious meal. Dr. Riddles looked at a Kiyo as he sat down, "Kiyo. Did E and Angelica happen to say where they lived?" Kiyo looked at the doctor wonderingly, "Um, they said Odaiba. The artificial island that is about an hour away from here. Why?"

Dr. Riddles grinned enigmatically, "I might just pay them a little visit."

**Author Notes**

It doesn't take a rocket scientist after reading Dr. Riddles's last line that the first battle of the story is coming up in the next chapter. Let's hope E and Ang are ready for them!

This chapter could be considered filler. All it did was reveal who E's bookkeeper was, have E/Ang and Zatch/Kiyo meet up, and I got a chance to show Ang's major friends/classmates in Odaiba.

Anyway, tell me how I did please. Adios and Adieu for now!


	3. Chapter 3: Make a Choice

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Harumi Kisamaru. Izo Uramori, Myriam, and Mystrael.

**Chapter 3: Make a Choice**

Angelica was sitting at her desk in her room, her eyes drinking in the complex content of the study guide and notes before her. She knew if she did not memorize this stuff by heart by the time of her exams, she would not be able to gain entrance into the technical college she wanted to be in. These exams were already delayed once, as per her request, because of something in the past, so it would add insult to injury to the higher-ups if she were to not get the satisfying grade.

"E, quit breathing down my neck." Angelica commanded. E immediately created distance between him and his bookkeeper, "Sorry, Angelica. I was just curious as to what you were studying." Angelica responded, "Just things pertaining to psychology, and the sciences around it."

"Oh. Interesting."

"Oh, and E?"

"Yes?"

"You will _please _start calling me 'Ang!'"

Just then, Angelica's cell phone—which was on her bed—started ringing. "E, please answer that for me." Angelica requested as she flipped a page in her study guide. "Sure thing." E stated as he picked up the cellular device, pressed the button to accept the call, and put it on speakerphone so Angelica could hear too, "Tsukoro residence."

"Oh, hello, E," It was Izo on the other end of the line, "Is Ang there? I need to ask her something." E responded genteelly, "Angelica is busy studying at the moment, but I can—" Out of the blue, Angelica accidentally knocked E aside as she took the cell phone, "Hey there, Izo! What's up?"

Izo was outside his home in Odaiba that was thirty minutes from where the terrace Angelica lived in was located. It was fairly bad and possessed a large lawn of sod and some trees. He was standing against the iron fence surrounding his house near the mailbox. "Do you happen to have directions to the Tokyo Bayside Wind Power Plant?" He asked.

"The Tokyo Bayside Wind Power Plant?" Angelica echoed questioningly, "No, I don't. But I can look them up for you. May I ask what's going on?" Izo looked at the envelope and letter in his hand as he answered, "A letter addressed to me came in the mail this morning. Someone requests of my attendance there."

"Well, you are planning to become an environmentalist," Angelica mused, "Maybe someone's interested?" Izo lowered his eyelids thoughtfully, "Maybe…Well, just go ahead and email me those directions when you can. Thanks, Ang." Angelica nodded, "Anytime, Izo." With that, the two ended their call.

"You are aware that that letter is a challenge, Izo?"

The ash grey-haired student, as he pocketed the letter, looked at the person approaching him. "Doesn't take a genius to realize that, Nylon. A Mamodo is after us." They kept it secret from Angelica and E, but Izo was the bookkeeper of Nylon. They had their fair share of battling in the tournament and were going strong.

"If the Mamodo is near a power plant, I'd hate to imagine the reason why." Nylon said, carrying a kendo stick in his right hand that he been using for practice and his dark brown spellbook in the other hand. "Well, as soon as Ang gives me the directions, we're heading right over there." Izo declared as he started walking back to his house.

Nylon grinned as he followed his bookkeeper, "That is what a knight does; be the first one the scene."

* * *

><p>"There! Izo should get that email in a matter of seconds!" Angelica announced as she stood up from the seat in front of the computer that was located in her apartment's living room.<p>

E floated up to Angelica and extended out an envelope to her, "Mail call." Curiously, Angelica accepted the envelope, unsealed it, and read the contents of the letter which E reading it over her shoulder.

"_Greetings, Angelica Tsukoro and E:_

_I am Doctor Riddles, the marvelous Doctor Riddles that knows everything. Zatch Bell and Kiyo Takamine told me about you two, and I am quite curious. Meet me at the Odaiba Liner Terminal in about twenty minutes after reading this letter. Call it an interview, if you will."_

After reading it, Angelica and E exchanged sketchy looks at each other. "An interview at the warehouses?" E said, "Not particularly inviting." Angelica cupped her chin contemplatively, "But if Dr. Riddles is an associate of Kiyo and Zatch, then it shouldn't be all that bad."

"I say bring the spellbook, if we're going, just in case." E suggested, "Simply for our own protection." Angelica nodded understandingly, "Alright. I'm curious myself to see what Dr. Riddles wants with us."

* * *

><p>"D-Doctor, are you sure it was a good idea to bring those two here?" Kido questioned in trepidation, looking at the white-haired man who was sitting on a crate with legs crossed. "No, Kido," Dr. Riddles said dramatically, "Quite frankly, I'm just as scared as you are." Kido gulped nervously, "R-Really?" Suddenly, Dr. Riddles grinned as he announced, "Kid-ding!" Kido's nervous expression turned shock and photo-negative at the revelation.<p>

This banter was cut short when they heard the warehouse door opening, the gears and chains creaking loudly as they gradually allowed the light of day to leak inside the moderately lit warehouse. Kido assumed his usual façade, in order to make his apprehension, while Dr. Riddles grinned alacritously, "So you have arrived."

Angelica—who opted to wear a black jacket in addition to her usual clothing—and E entered the warehouse as the gears and chains worked in reverse to close the metal door. "Dr. Riddles, I presume?" Angelica said after the metal door completely closed. "You presume correctly, Miss Tsukoro." Dr. Riddles responded as he stood from his seat. "And I'm Kido!" Kido introduced himself.

It was then each side took notice of something: neither Angelica nor Dr. Riddles tried to hide their respective spellbooks. "It was for protection." Angelica admitted sheepishly. "Hahaha!" Dr. Riddles chuckled heartily, "Great minds think alike!"

"But let's just cut to the chase, please." E spoke austerely, "Why have you summoned us?" D. Riddles replied seriously, "I'm more than certain Kiyo and Zatch mentioned a person by the name of Milordo-Z, right?" Angelica titled her head to the side in confusion; however, E responded, "Me, yes. Angelica is not aware."

Angelica decided to stay quiet, seeing as she would be enlightened to this information. "Milordo-Z is but a mere Mamodo himself who has an army of Ancient Mamodo that were sealed in stone by another Mamodo named Goren of the Stone. He released them and gathered humans to be their bookkeepers, most of them being mind-controlled. Now, he's stationed in Deboro Ruins in South America. Me, Kiyo, Zatch, Kido, and an array other companions are going to infiltrate these ruins and put an end to his plans before Milordo-Z can do anything else to the world with these Mamodo from one thousand years ago." Dr. Riddles explained.

"Hmm…You explained that a bit more intricately than Zatch did." E said contemplatively, "And it still pains me to hear fellow Mamodo have being used like that." Dr. Riddles smiled, "Ahh, is that so? Well, seeing as you're about one thousand-years-old yourself, that should be the case?" E looked at the doctor in disbelief, "Wha-What? How did you know that?" Kido grinned as he jumped on Dr. Riddles's shoulder, "He's Dr. Riddles! He knows everything!"

"I see that wasn't merely exaggeration." E said in an impressed tone. Angelica stared at the ground; this was some serious business that Dr. Riddles and Kido were trying to get them into, and she knew it. "What does that have to do with us?"

"I sense potential in both of you already." Dr. Riddles said and then requested, "So, we would like you two to join us in this fight. We need as much power as possible to win." Angelica rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "Uhhh, as much I want to help out, E and I aren't that strong. We would probably be more of a burden…"

As Kido jumped off Dr. Riddles's shoulder, he responded, "Is that so?" Out of nowhere, they gray spellbook in Dr. Riddles's hand glowed, "Zegaruga!" The circular base of a cannon came out from Kido's mouth and unleashed a blue beam from it.

Angelica's eyes widened immensely at how unexpected the attack was. "ANGELICA! A SPELL!" Angelica quickly swallowed the lump in her throat and closed her eyes as E's spellbook glowed purple, "Ieshun!" E released psychic energy in the form of a dark purple sphere with a pink outline around his body. Kido's Zegaruga came in contact with E's Ieshun. After an intense struggle between the two spells, they cancelled each other in a small explosion.

"_Angelica, were your eyes closed?" _E telepathically asked his bookkeeper as the dust started settling. _"Y-Yeah, they were…" _Angelica responded to E's call. _"Great. Just make sure not to look every time you cast a spell of mine…Wouldn't want _that _happening."_ The psychic Mamodo stressed.

With newfound confidence, Kido boasted, "Ha! You guys barely managed to defend yourselves against that! Maybe you aren't all that, E the Alien!" E immediately shot a harsh glare to the scholarly child, and he silenced instantly. "I don't know, Kido…" Dr. Riddles objected thoughtfully, "It seems like they were holding back for some reason. One of them must be scared of something…No, both of them are responsible."

"Aruk! Sora Iera!"

In a quick flash of pink, E teleported directly in front of Kido—as per the effects of Aruk. Then, thanks to Sora Iera, whitish psychic energy surrounded E's arm that then formed into long whitish blades. "Doctor!" Kido alerted his partner. "Zeburuk!" Dr. Riddles recited as he jumped back to create distance from the two Mamodo. Kido's upper half suddenly detached from his lower half as E swung his blades, missing his target due to Zeburuk.

"Now for the follow-up!" Dr. Riddles declared as Kido's spellbook glowed more, "Am Zegar!" Kido's body reconnected just in time for his right hand to transform into a giant metal fist. E was unable to react as his face got punched by Am Zegar and sent into a wall.

Angelica's onyx eyes bore witness to the violent attack and they widened immensely as she screamed concernedly, "E!" Not paying attention to Dr. Riddles or Kido, she printed for her fallen partner. All the while, that punched Kido delivered unto E agitated her psyche, and something very similar from her memories flashed through her head. _"G-Go away!" _She mentally screamed to her memory banks.

As E regained his senses and resumed floating, Angelica knelt beside her and said consolingly, "A-Are you okay, E?" E nodded reassuringly, "Yeah. What about you? I sincerely hope you didn't see it…" Angelica bit her lip, and that gesture told the tale in itself. "Angelica…" E growled seriously.

"Well this is a rather interesting scenario." The voice of Dr. Riddles caused Angelica and E to turn their attention to him. "What was so bad about me punching E?" Kido asked. Angelica and E did not respond as they respectively stood or floated up.

"Ah-ah! Don't tell me!" Dr. Riddles said coyly, going with the flow, "When Kido used Am Zegar and scored a successful hit on E, did it incur something in your mind, dear Angelica?" Angelica's dilated in shock. This doctor was too smart for his own good.

"It seems that is the case." Dr. Riddles said as the grey spellbook glowed once more, "But I think I need to elicit a little something more out of you. Gigano Zegar!" Panels opened up on Kido's chest and then released a powerful blue blast toward both Angelica and E.

"Quickly, Angelica!" E alerted as he floated in front of her protectively. Angelica found herself almost paralyzed as the powered-up version of Zegar headed their way. Once again, the back of her mind brought about images from her past that she did not want to see anymore. It was affecting her, E, and the heart energy she was putting into the spellbook.

"Angelica!" E yelled desperately. "I-Ieruga!" Angelica finally, but shakily, recited. E's green lenses glowed white and then discharged a whitish beam toward the Gigano Zegar. The two spells connected but Kido's spell was already gaining the upper hand. _"Blast! Ieruga is not as strong as it's supposed to be!" _

Gigano Zegar then overpowered Ieruga and another explosion occurred that shook the warehouse for a second or two. "Whoa, Doctor, we didn't overdo, did we?" Kido asked apprehensively, seeing at how potent his spell was in comparison to E's. "Not at all, Kido." Dr. Riddles said reassuringly. As if on cue, E and Angelica returned in their field of vision via teleportation provided by Aruk.

"Bravo!" Dr. Riddles congratulated them, "I see potential in you two, but I also see something else, specifically within Angelica. Not only are you two holding something back, there seems to be a reason for you two holding back. Additionally, E, you seem very stern about Angelica keeping her eyes closed conveniently when we cast a spell on each other. When she didn't, it seemed to have an effect on the power of your spells." The doctor gave out his conjecture, which was right on the dot, as his mind replayed the certain scenes in this short battle that led to that conclusion.

E looked at Angelica who solemnly nodded to him. The psychic Mamodo turned to Kido and Dr. Riddles and began the story, "Bear with us. Our explanation is rather lengthy."

"We have time."

"Angelica here is the daughter of a successful lawyer of a mother, and a father that is a renowned physician. Their money allowed her to attend schools that upped her intelligence. She has always been known for being expressive and passionate. Once upon a time, however, her mother lost a very important case, and her father was legally robbed of his clinic. Their bosses and supervisor had to let them go, and they found comfort in drinking. Typically, they became monsters, mere shells of their former selves. One day, when Angelica was innocently coming home from, they were arguing again, and she was unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time and…"

E paused when he heard Angelica sobbing softly behind him. It pained him to see this girl cry in these situations, but he continued on, "They lashed at her. She never was the same, especially when it happened in the future a couple more times. Angelica became a mere shell herself. She gave all her friends and peers the cold shoulder, and she no longer was expressive. For God's sake, that beautiful hair of hers that many loved her for had to be hidden. And it didn't stop there! The money that would help get her into the technical college she's been applying for was spent on their blasted alcohol!"

E could to pause himself to gather his bearings. Like Angelica, he was becoming an emotional wreck telling her story to Dr. Riddles and Kido—the former maintained expressionlessness while the latter was blowing his nose into a handkerchief. E couldn't believe it when Ang first told him the whole story, and he couldn't believe it now.

"But that wasn't until E came into my life." Angelica spoke out of nowhere, apparently having calmed down completely.

_Angelica had left her classes early to avoid the constant questions from her friends that she did not answer. She walked stiffly up the stairs that would lead her to her apartment in the terrace. As the brisk afternoon wind swept through the corridors, she had to shoot a hand up to keep the white cloche hat that kept all her hair up in it from flying off her head._

"_Ugh…I can hear those two yelling at each other from here." Angelica groaned disdainfully, already hearing her mother and father one floor up as she went up the stairs. As she continued her reluctant journey, she did not notice a pair of distinctive green eyes watching her every move, _"Hm. She's so forlorn…let's hope that I don't spook her or anything."

_Angelica stopped in front of the door to her apartment. She could hear the verbal violence between her mother and father, and she found it hard to believe none of the neighbors had called for possible domestic violence in their midst. She was hesitant to enter, fearing a repeat of that one time that led to her current state of depression. She started shaking at the very thought._

"_You're going to have to do something."_

_Angelica, because her mind and nerves were already on the fritz, jumped and exclaimed at the sudden appearance of a floating creature nearing a trench coat and bell-shaped hat. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't startle you, did I?" E asked, titling his head to the side._

"_Sorry, I'm a mess, little one," Angelica replied after calming herself, "But please run along." With that, Angelica opened the door and reluctantly the household. E, having telepathically read the girl's mind, knew just what was going on and followed her inside. _

_Just as she predicted, her blonde mother and brunette father were in a drunken rage. Some items, mostly bottles of booze, were on the floor as a result of the confrontation. The unexpected entrance of their daughter caused them, due to cloud psychological reasons, to divert all their violent to attention to her._

"_Oh no…" Angelica squeaked fearfully. Whatever words they said to her were ignored. Besides, their drunken language was entirely foreign to the ears of the pure. And based on their glares, it was going to happen again. So, all she could do was brace herself. _

_It was then E stepped into the familial matters. He flew in front of Angelica while extending out his right hand. The parents stopped cold in their tracks as E locked onto their mentalities. E began removing the portions of their memories that led to their alcoholic depression and kept the parts that made them partial to positivity. Even though he hadn't manipulated someone's memories in so long, he worked this case like a pro. For Angelica's sake. _

_When he was done, Mr. and Mrs. Tsukoro fell to the ground unconscious. "There—" Just then, the collar and upper portions of his trench coat was gripped by two hands, and he was then lifted eye-level to Angelica's onyx eyes. "What did you do to them!" She screamed in demand, "Tell me now!" _

_Angelica found her grip diminishing as E remained completely silent. In under a minute of the two staring at each other—and Angelica hyperventilating, E was released from the sixteen-year-old's hold. "Get some sleep and see tomorrow." E suggested casually as he floated out of the room, closing the door behind him._

_And with no other choice, Angelica could only sigh and head off to her room._

_It took her time to sleep since she was trying to register on what just happened. And then she woke up early in strange anticipation for the morning. With a yawn, Angelica came down to the living room—in pink pajamas—via the stairs around 8:00 AM, the usual time she woke up on weekends. _

_Imagine how shocked she was to see the living room completely clean, and her parents acting normally, even filling applications for new jobs at the table. _

"_Oh good morning, Ang!" Mrs. Tsukoro greeted her daughter with a smile. "Had a nice sleep? We sure did." Mr. Tsukoro said, writing something down. Apparently, they were both oblivious to E's ministrations._

_Angelica stood cemented in her spot. They were completely and utterly back to the good-hearted and great parents she knew them for. She pondered only for a second what kind of voodoo magic E performed on these two. She, smiling brightly and on the verge of shedding overjoyed tears, ran over to them and embraced them lovingly. "I slept wonderfully, too!" Angelica announced happily. _

_Mr. and Mrs. Tsukoro were felt in a state of confusion because their daughter was being more expressive than usually. Angelica released them from her loving hold and skipped merrily back upstairs to her room. Mr. and Mrs. Tsukoro wanted to dwell on what was with her, but they merely deemed it to be a hormonal issue and went back to business._

_Angelica returned to her room, and the first thing she noticed was the psychic Mamodo that would it possible was floating right outside her open window. E waved at her and was about to say something until the onyx-eyed girl swiftly brought him into her room and hugged him tautly. _

"_GAH! AHH! TOO TIGHT!" E screamed breathlessly, feeling as if he was going to break under the girl's surprisingly powerful arms._

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"_ Angelica declared ecstatically. Momentarily, E's suffering was replaced with surprise. _"Wait a minute…You have telepathy, too?" _E asked her mentally. Angelica giggled and spoke aloud, "It's a gift. Though, I prefer no one knows about it." _

"_And I'm exception?" E asked in response. Angelica winked, "That's right. People like us stick together." _

_E smiled under those wraps of his; this was easier than he thought it would be. Well, now it was time to inform her of the Mamodo Fight. "Listen…Angelica, right? As you can probably infer, I'm not of this world; I am of a species called a Mamodo. I'm here on Earth to find a partner that can read my book in order to become Mamodo King—"_

"_Say no more, E." Angelica interrupted, embracing the psychic Mamodo again but more tenderly this time. "You saved me and my parents. If helping you become King is the only way I can repay you, then so be it."_

"Hmm…" Dr. Riddles fingered his chin in thought as he let the story sink into his mind, "I see, but I can tell there is more for you to say. Am I right?" Kido chimed in childishly, "Doctor, you're always right! 'Course there's more!" E chuckled dryly, "Yes, indeed, and it entails the source of our ailment…when we participated in our first battle together."

"_Hey there, E the extraterrestrial."_

"_Remember us? From that school?"_

"_You're going to pay for injuring us."_

"_Think you can take all five of us at the same time?"_

"_With our bookkeepers and spells to boot?"_

_How cruel fate could be. What started as a simple walk through the Odaiba district now became an encounter with five different Mamodo and their bookkeepers. To make matters worse, they were the same five from Nylon's school that approached E that day._

_Angelica gulped nervously as she gripped E's puce spellbook tightly. This was their first confrontation with Mamodo in the tournament, but she didn't expect for her and E to battle five simultaneously. "Calm yourself, Angelica," E reasoned as he glared at the quintet, "Just read my spell. We can't run." _

_Angelica nodded and opened up the spellbook. Only two nights back she had discovered E's first spell when she was leafing through the strange book. Now, she was given the chance to see its effects. Wondrously, she mumbled it, "Ieshun…"_

_Before the five Mamodo were given a chance to attack, since their bookkeepers were accumulating heart energy for particularly powerful spells, E released a strong, dark purple psychic field outlined by pink in the form of an expanding dome. The ground below E cratered, trees immediately hunched over in their foundation opposite of the attack's direction, and the five Mamodo were blasted by the Ieshun._

_Angelica bored witness to the powerful spell, and she momentarily amazed by it. But then, when she took a look at the aftermath of the attack—the damages to the soundings and the injuries the five Mamodo (and two bookkeepers) sustained—something inside her mind triggered. Something related…to the trauma she endured with her parents._

_All of it instantly began replaying in her mind at the sight of the graphic destruction of E's Ieshun. Tears instantly and uncontrollably fell from her eyes. She thought she was over with all this, but no. Fate had to make those events haunt her even until now._

_E expressionlessly watched the five bookkeepers run away in fear. The five Mamodo were unconscious, but with their spellbooks are fire, they were slowly dissolving, going back to the Mamodo World and out of the tournament officially. "Mm…I guess practice is needed. I shouldn't have done that much damage to my surroundings." E noted casually, "But not bad for just our first battle, Angelica. Killed five birds with one stone." _

_When E turned around to see his bookkeeper on her knees traumatized and crying absentmindedly, he instantly was concerned and floated to her side. "Angelica! What's gotten into you? What happened?" E questioned her frenziedly. _

"_I saw…" Angelica squeaked; her voice was choking from her sobs, "I saw…flashbacks…of back then…" E was able to infer what she meant by "back then" and put the pieces together—that, and he simply read her mind—and embraced her apologetically, "I'm so sorry, Angelica…That won't happen again. I promise you on that."_

"And I'm sorry for being a burden in your quest to become king, E…" _Angelica telepathically told him. Even her mind was affected by her sorrow. _"I could care less about burdens." _E replied._

"So you're frightened." Dr. Riddles said, sounding more stern than sympathetic. "Yes, she is. Understand that I'm doing all that you've conjectured so far for her sake only." E responded.

Dr. Riddles exhaled sharply through his nostrils as he adjusted his hat. "How…ridiculous!" E, Ang, and even Kido were surprised by the vehement exclaim that came out of Dr. Riddles's mouth. "Sooner or later, Angelica Tsukoro and E, you two are going to confront Mamodo that won't show compassion or even regard your promises to each other! Angelica, what are you going to do then?"

Angelica finally stood back up but was unsure of what to say. "I...uh...I…" She stammered. Was she going to try and be brave for the tournament's sake? No, that was pushing their luck. She knew good and well that those flashbacks would crop up again eventually.

"You better think carefully before you answer me." Dr. Riddles advised her, "If you're going to fight, then you need to shape up in our battle. If you insist on dwelling on past endeavors that E rectified, then, as a good Samaritan who sympathizes with you, Kido and I will burn that book!"

When the doctor that knew everything threatened eliminating E from the battle and squashing his chances at becoming King, Angelica snapped—figuratively not literally, "No! I will not allow you to burn E's book! I promised that I would make him King! I'm in his debt for saving me and my parents from turmoil! I won't let you do that to him!" Then, she stepped straight in front of the psychic Mamodo, cradling the puce spellbook in her arms, "Never!"

"Then so be it…" Dr Riddles paused to adjust his monocle and then Kido's grey spellbook illuminated vigorously, "Raja Zerusen!" Kido extended out his tiny arms and, suddenly, they began morphing into a giant, blue rocket-like fist. It had at least thirty times the little guy's own size.

E's eyes widened from over Angelica's shoulder. Kido and Dr. Riddles were more than likely performing their strongest spell. _"I'm sorry if you two will hate me from now," _Dr. Riddles said in his mind—which was unread by either Ang or E, _"But this is apart of my test…I need to show you two that you're stronger than you're giving yourselves credit for!" _

Raja Zerusen was fired and was progressively heading toward both Angelica and E. Angelica, tears pouring out of her eyes, hugged the spellbook more tightly. The flashbacks were rewinding and fast-forwarding in her mind, but her devotion to E had precedence over those tormenting images. "Angelica! Cast a spell!" E yelled as he now positioned himself in front of Angelica and, thus, was the new target for Raja Zerusen.

Sadly, Angelica could not do her request. The whirlwind of emotions and thoughts inside her greatly compromised her heart energy. The book could not gather enough to even cast their most basic spell. "Angelica!" E yelled urgently to her. "I'm sorry, E…" Angelica said softly to him. It was at that time, E realized they were officially in hot water.

The psychic Mamodo faced the oncoming Raja Zerusen. Angelica was currently an emotional wreck, so spells were out of the question. But E knew he couldn't just stay there. The telepathic girl would get hurt along with him. Abandoning all rational thought, E jettisoned himself straight into the Raja Zerusen.

Angelica, Kido, and Dr. Riddles were all shocked by E's rash decision. "What's he doing?" Kido exclaimed in disbelief. Dr. Riddles, too, was temporarily shocked by the choice, but seeing this as the telepathic duo's opportunity to prove themselves, he watched on thoughtlessly.

"E-E…" Angelica spoke shakily, unable to comment on the sight before. E, using his whole body, was trying to push back the gigantic Raja Zerusen. He screamed in effort and pain as white energy surged through the warehouse. "I…" E managed to speak, "I…can't…let her…get hurt!" He knew that he couldn't deflect or push back the powerful spell, but he had to at least keep at it until the spell wore off.

Eventually, it ended. The heart energy put into Raja Zerusen wore off, and the rocket fist disappeared. E then motionlessly fell on the ground. His trench coat and hat were tattered and damaged considerably but remained intact. Angelica immediately ran over to the psychic Mamodo's side and picked him tenderly. "E…You…" She said solemnly. E was breathing heavily but he managed to drawl out, "What else…was I supposed to do…you silly child?" Angelica smiled weakly, "And you're still adorable even when tired…"

"And with that, this test is over."

Angelica and E—the latter weakly—looked to see Dr. Riddles and Kido before them, the gray spellbook nowhere in sight. "This whole battle was set up so I can test you two." Dr. Riddles revealed to them as he kneeled down, "You two are much stronger than you think, and E using himself as a shield against Kido's most powerful spell is proof of that." The doctor then placed a comforting hand on Ang's shoulder as he continued, "You two have potential and power deep in your souls that only you can unlock. Me, Kido, Zatch, Kiyo, and all of our allies heading to fight Zofis need power like that. So…I'll talk to Kiyo about this. Whether you show up late or early does not, just please come to South American and fight on our side. We'll be waiting for you."

"And prepare yourselves quickly." Kido advised as he jumped on Dr. Riddles's shoulder, "There are going to Mamodo there that will test you. So if you come, leave behind all that crybaby stuff."

With that said, the self-proclaimed ultimate combination turned heel and left the telepathic duo to ponder silently._ "I can only hope that you will put that new spell to good use." _Dr. Riddles thought, being the only person to notice the puce book glowing silently.

**Author Notes**

And here is the third chapter, and a small battle-and the first battle of the story-between Dr. Riddles/Kido (my favorite ZB characters) and Angelica/E. Though, there is mostly dialogue in this battle, but for good reason. The next chapter is where the REAL fun begins with Izo and Nylon!


	4. Chapter 4: Metallix Madness

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Harumi Kisamaru. Izo Uramori, Myriam, Mystrael, Metallix, and Professor Linda.

**Chapter 4: Metallix Madness**

Completely unaware of the test Dr Riddles and Kido put E and Angelica through, Izo and Nylon were currently on their way to the Tokyo Bayside Wind Power Plant. Izo was driving his silver Mitsubishi with Nylon in the passenger seat.

"OK, turn right and take the small bridge." Nylon read the direction to his bookkeeper. "Gotcha," Izo responded and then muttered, "Thirty minutes, my butt…" He was referring to the estimated time the map provided. They had taken at least forty-five minutes to get to their current position, and it was also considerably close to twilight.

"Ah-ha! I think that's it up ahead!" Nylon announced, throwing the direction carelessly into the backseat. Indeed, merely a bridge and a large parking lot ahead was the Tokyo Bayside Wind Power Plant. The white windmills functioning on the large patch of island reflected off the russet light of the sunset. "Oh yeah, only took almost an hour…" Izo said sarcastically as he pulled up into the empty parking lot.

"Get ready, Izo," Nylon cautioned as he exited the vehicle, "I can already tell we're going to clash blades with another Mamodo." As Izo gripped the dark brown spellbook tightly, he replied, "Sometimes I wish you weren't right in these situations." The two then sauntered out of the parking lot and down the small walkway that led them onto the artificial island that harbored all of the windmills.

"Nylon and Izo Uramori reporting!" Izo shouted, his voice echoing amongst the sea breeze, "Who summoned us? Who sent the letter? Show yourself!"

"Please continue forward. We're in your midst, Nylon and Izo Uramori." It was a loudspeaker, and a female voice was on the other end of it. Not letting these circumstances make them falter, Nylon and Izo continued walking until they reached the very middle of the island.

"Welcome to the Tokyo Bayside Wind Power Plant, Nylon and Izo Uramori. I'm your host, Professor Linda." An adult russet-haired woman was sitting within a technological, circular desk with a 360-degree keyboard on top. This was situated on top of a strange tube of considerable height that was glowing light blue.

"…A scientist sitting atop of a strange thing. Very suspect, ma'am." Nylon pointed out. "Good observation, you have reason to feel apprehensive." Professor Linda said while gazing at the spellbook in Izo's hands. She then, from under her desk, took out an Alice-blue spellbook, "My Mamodo has taken an interest in you two, so I wanted to do a little experiment."

"I figured as much." Izo responded as his shifted around to try and locate Professor Linda's partner, "So…where is he or she?"

"Right in front of you, human."

Izo and Nylon, with widened eyes, turned their attention to the glass tube before them. "I am Metallix." Every time the tube talked, the light blue glow flashed on and off in conjunction with the syllables of each word spoken. "Okay, now I've seen it all." Nylon announced casually, "A talking tube is the Mamodo partner of some scientist."

"If I'm correct, this is simply a summons to battle, right?" Izo asked seriously, gripping the dark brown spellbook. "Didn't I just confirm that?" Professor Linda replied, "But I'm also aware of your dreams to be an environmentalist, Izo Uramori. Consider this…a sort of contemporary entrance exam."

"Well, this is certainly sudden, but whatever." Izo said as opened up Nylon's spellbook and it glowed an ecru color, "Let's begin, shall we? Shigeru!" Nylon extended out his hand with his palms outward, both of his thumbs and forefingers forming a triangle, and gathered whitish-silver energy in it that formed into a steel ball that was fired at Metallix and Professor Linda.

"Datarudo!" Professor Linda exclaimed, the Alice-blue spellbook glowing brightly. The tube emitted a light blue glow that formed into a rhombus-shaped shield that blocked Nylon's Shigeru. "Not bad." Professor Linda remarked, "Let's see how you handle this. Datarum!"

Metallix then fired a small blast of light blue energy. Both Nylon and Izo jumped to the side to avoid it. "Datarum!" Professor Linda recited. "Here it comes, Nylon. Keep your eyes on Metal—" Unexpectedly, Nylon was then struck by the same attack, but it had from somewhere behind him, not straight from Metallix. "Wh-What?" Izo exclaimed in shock, wide-eyed. Nylon stumbled from the pain but managed to stay on his feet, "An attack from behind? That goes against chivalry big time."

"It's merely strategy." Metallix countered. Izo sneered as Nylon's dark brown spellbook started glowing a bright ecru, "We'll see how far that will take you. Ganzu Shigeru!" Nylon extended out his arms, thumbs and forefingers forming a triangle again, and multiple steel balls of whitish-silver energy shot toward Metallix and Professor Linda from around him.

Professor Linda smiled, chuckled, and leaned back in her seat as Metallix's spellbook glowed once more, "Datarudo!" Once again, Metallix emitted a light blue that formed into his rhombus-shaped shield. The defensive spell met the multi-hit spell. Nylon continued releasing the salvos of Shigeru shots while Metallix maintained the use of his shield; they were waiting to see which of their bookkeepers would decide to do something else first.

As the two Mamodo clashed, Izo's aqua green eyes guardedly moved about the battlefield. _"That shot of Datarum that struck Nylon from behind…where did it come from? I need to find where before it becomes a hindrance later on. But all I see are just the island and these windmills; nothing else whatsoever!"_

Eventually, Izo and Professor Linda stopped inputting heart energy into the current spells of their Mamodo in order to converse it for the rest of the fight. "For a piece of machinery, you're pretty tough." Nylon commented as he let his arms drop to the side.

"Sad to say, I can't say for you, Nylon." Metallix replied monotonously. "Ganzu Datarum!" Professor Linda shouted the name of the next spell. Five blasts of light energy shot from Metallix's tube and headed toward Nylon.

"Our turn to go on the defensive!" Izo yelled as pages of the dark brown spellbook flipped until they landed on the proper page, "Ave Shield!" Nylon extended his hands out and formed a steel, medieval-style shield to block those shots of Ganzu Datarum.

"Not very bright, aren't you?" Professor Linda affronted. Before anything else could be said, Nylon was struck in the back by other shots of Ganzu Datarum. This caused him to cry out in pain and dismiss his shield. "Nylon!" Izo exclaimed concernedly, looking at the kneeling teenage Mamodo. "Ugh…" Nylon groaned as he managed to get back on his feet, "I must have…let myself go since coming to the Human World…"

"Such a shame indeed." Metallix said, "Linda, terminate them with this next one." Professor Linda smiled as the Alice-blue spellbook glowed brighter than usual, "Okay, if that's what you want." Nylon and Izo gritted their teeth. They knew from experience that the brighter a spellbook glowed, the more powerful the upcoming spell was going to be.

"Gigano Datarum." Professor Linda recited the spell calmly. The first thing Nylon and Izo noticed was that nothing was coming from Metallix's tube. "JUMP TO THE SIDE!" Izo shouted in alarm, already knowing the attack was going to come from nowhere. Quickly, Nylon and Izo jumped away to opposite sides. Then, a giant blast of light blue energy crashed in the median of their current positions. The Gigano Datarum came a diagonal angle from the right, so Izo was grazed by the attack on his left arm while Nylon was jettisoned further then he wanted to from the resultant blast.

"Oh?" Metallix and Professor Linda sounded in unison and intriguingly. "Perhaps we underestimated them a little." Metallix admitted as he watched Nylon and Izo regrouped.

"Izo, your arm." Nylon pointed out. Some of the fabric of his shirt sleeve was eradicated to reveal wounds. "Not as bad it could have been." Izo reassured his Mamodo partner, "But it seems they used small spells like Datarum and Ganzu Datarum to mask that small implication that lets us know the attack is coming from another direction."

"We have no choice, Izo." Nylon said as he stood up, "We've have to abandon the use of other spells in order to use Shigeruk." the silver-haired Mamodo looked at the mechanical Mamodo and the environmentalist sitting atop it, "Besides, they are sitting ducks."

Izo stood up, went behind Nylon, and reopened the spellbook, "You're right, it may be for the best. I'd like to see how they'll be able to keep up with you!" The ecru glow shone from the dark brown spellbook once again as Izo recited, "Shigeruk!"

A metallic sheen coated Nylon's whole body and clothing, and a faint silver aura lingered around the outline of his body. Izo stood on Nylon's cloak while grabbing the back part of the collar and ordered vigorously, "Knock 'em down, Nylon!"

"Just don't throw up while I'm taking care of business!" Nylon said as he sprinted toward Metallix at high speeds. "Wh-What? An assist spell?" Professor Linda was momentarily taken aback at the radical increase in Nylon's speed. "Don't falter, Linda," Metallix reasoned. "Right!" The Alice-blue spellbook glowed once again as the environmentalist recited, "Ganzu Datarum!"

Multiple shots of light blue energy exited Metallix's tube and headed straight for the rushing Nylon; some even were fired from their mysterious position. "Hold on tight, Izo! Keep that book safe!" Nylon shouted determinedly as he continued his head-on charge toward Metallix.

Then, nothing but explosions was where Izo and Nylon were, and dust covered the remnants of those explosions. Metallix and Professor Linda gazed at the dust expressionlessly. "Did that get them?" Professor Linda mumbled in wonder.

Suddenly, a figure swooped out of the smoke. "Not even close!" Izo shouted victoriously. Both he and Nylon were virtually unharmed by the assault and were en route to Metallix's tube. "Linda! Hurry—" Before Metallix could even finish his exclaim, Nylon kicked the tube and broke with a loud crash. Like a malfunctioning speaker, Metallix's cries were warped and distorted. "Metallix!" Professor Linda exclaimed in horror.

Nylon landed on the ground as Shigeruk dispelled. Izo hopped off Nylon's back and explicated, "Shigeruk is a spell that allows Nylon to be coated in an aura of steel. It enhances his speed, power, and hardens his body for defensive purposes for a limited amount of time. Not being able to use other spells is a fair tradeoff, I think."

"Now you have no choice but to yield," Nylon said as he crossed his arms. "Don't take us lightly," Professor Linda sneered, "Like you, we have our own trump card." Izo and Nylon raised an eyebrow as the Alice-blue spellbook in Professor Linda's arms glowed brightly, "Dataraijo!"

Light blue electrical energy crackled in the ground around the totaled tube of Metallix, then these charges were absorbed into the tube as the crackles intensified.

As that occurred, Izo and Nylon separately noticed something amiss. Izo noticed the light blue electrical charges were occurring around the windmills and their foundations. Nylon noticed the nightlights of the city of Tokyo were flashing on and off at different places.

The electrical charges disappeared and revealed Metallix's tube back in the state before Nylon destroyed it with his Shigeruk-enhanced kick. "Ngh…I'll admit you caught me off guard…" Metallix stated groggily. "Wha-What?" Nylon exclaimed in shock before getting in a battle stance again. "Dataraijo gathers energy in the vicinity to heal Metallix in case he suffers major damage like that." Professor Linda explained.

"_So that explains why we were brought to a power plant," _Izo thought disdainfully as he opened the dark brown spellbook again. "Then why were the lights in the city blinking on and off in this island is our battlefield?" Nylon questioned heatedly. Izo looked at Nylon, "Say what?"

"Hm hm hm…" Metallix chuckled robotically and then said, "The Bayside Wind Power Plant is simply the gateway to the energy reservoirs my powers demand to have." Nylon narrowed his eyes at the mechanical Mamodo and his partner, "What do you mean…?"

"Let me explain this in a way you simpletons can understand." Professor Linda spoke, "Metallix's power is like plugging in a cord into an electrical outlet. The wires within are simply the path the energy must go, the plug itself is what gets the energy from the outlet, and the outlet is where the energy lies. That outlet, in order to satisfy Metallix, must be quite large, and you can say these windmills are simply the covering to the outlet. Have any idea what the true outlet might be?"

"The city of Tokyo…" Izo and Nylon uttered, their faces blanched and full of despair.

Professor Linda smirked as the spellbook glowed, "That's correct. Ganzu Datarum!" From Metallix's tube and wherever their secret, other sources may be, multiple shots of light blue energy were discharged to Izo and Nylon. Izo and Nylon decided to split up and run to avoid being shot.

"Nylon, we have to stop them! If they siphon too much energy, they could cause a citywide blackout for who-knows how long!" Izo shouted to his Mamodo as he ran different directions while safeguarding the dark brown spellbook with his arms.

"You need only say a spell, and you can leave the rest to me!" Nylon shouted back as his red-violet eyes locked onto the mechanical, stationary Mamodo, "By the Code of Chivalry, I won't allow him to affect Tokyo any further!"

"That's exactly what I want to hear!" Izo yelled affirmatively, "Now extend your arms outward to your right! Do it!" Nylon blinked once, finding the command odd for this sort of situation, but nonetheless obliged. "Shigeru!" Nylon fired the solid steel ball, made of whitish-silver energy, from the triangle formed by his aforesaid fingers. The Shigeru was launched directly toward a windmill and nailed it directly in the middle of its propellers.

The barrage of Ganzu Datarum stopped instantly as blue electrical charges crackled erratically around that windmill and around Metallix. Judging by the pained sounds coming from the mechanical Mamodo, it was definitely effective.

"Metallix!" Professor Linda exclaimed but flinched when some the electrical charges sparked on the keyboard she was surrounded by. "Nylon, as you can see, I finally figured out why they're so strong," Izo stated as he regrouped with the silver-haired Mamodo, "The windmills are how they were able to attack us from all those directions. As such, Metallix has to be connected to them in some way for that to work. Those are the "wires" that Professor Linda mentioned!"

"As expected of my bookkeeper. Always sharp on either the battlefield or in fencing." Nylon smirked proudly but turned serious again when he faced the recovering Metallix, "However, we're not done yet." Izo nodded as he pointed to the rightmost windmill nearest to Metallx, "One windmill down, five more to go! Shigeru!"

"D-Don't let them!" Metallix warned his bookkeeper as Nylon fired another Shigeru to the indicated windmill. "Right! Gigano Datarum!" From that windmill, a giant, concentrated blast of light energy was shot out. Because it was of a level higher than that of Shigeru, it ripped through the spell easily and started heading toward Nylon and Izo.

"Ave Shield!" Izo recited, and Nylon once again that steel, medieval-style shield against to block Gigano Datarum. Nylon kept his composure as his defensive spell worked against the Gigano-class spell. Izo placed a shoulder on Nylons' shoulder and whispered strategically, "Let up a little. We're going to hide ourselves so we can strike that windmill as a surprise."

Nylon nodded and did as he was instructed, making it seem like Gigano Datarum was overpowering Ave Shield little-by-little. Then, an explosion occurred that kicked up dust and smoke to hide them. "That was close." Professor Linda commented in relief.

"Shigeru!"

Suddenly, from the dust and smoke, a sold steel ball shot out and hit the windmill. The resulting explosion caused more blue electrical charges to crackle uncontrollably. "AHH!" Metallix screamed in pain, "L-Linda! Stop standing there!"

Professor Linda tried to oblige as she nervously opened the Alice-blue spellbook, but when Nylon suddenly jumped out of the smoke with his arms in position to fire another Shigeru at her, she lost her nerve. Izo jumped out of the smoke, off to the side on the ground, and recited the same spell again, "Shigeru!"

Nylon suddenly shifted his arms so that the Shigeru that was previously aimed at Professor Linda was now aimed at the windmill nearest and leftmost to her. With that successful strike, Nylon and Izo were left with three more windmills to hit.

"Keep it up, Nylon!" Izo encouraged as he continue to accumulate heart energy, signaled by the continual ecru glow of the dark brown spellbook. "A knight must stay dauntless and ready at all times, dear Izo!" Nylon responded as he landed on the ground.

"Enough of this…horseplay, Linda!" Metallix groaned commandingly. "Right!" Professor Linda finally managed to recite a spell, "Ganzu Datarum!" The three windmills remaining crackled with light blue electrical energy and then unleashed salvos of light blue blasts for Nylon and Izo.

Izo positioned himself behind Nylon and shouted, "Ganzu Shigeru!" Nylon extended his arms and unleashed a barrage of whitish-silver energy balls. Both Ganzu-class spells clashed together, minute explosion occurring every now and then.

"All right," Professor Linda spoke as the Alice-blue spellbook continued to glow, "While they're distracted with that, we can hit them from here!"

"No." Metallix objected, "That human is watching us intently. Besides, I can use their opportunity to recover a little after three of those windmills being hit." Professor Linda asked concernedly, "Will that small period of time be enough?" After she asked that, Metallix grew silent. He was starting to acknowledge Izo's and Nylon's skill and teamwork. Within time, they could possibly hit the remaining three windmills, and that would prove to be hazardous for him. "…No," Metallix admitted firmly, "It won't. Linda, stop Ganzu Datarum and prepare to use _it_. After that, I'll take it from there so you can regain at least a small sum of heart energy. Don't use a spell until I direct you."

"Very well." Professor Linda said as she stopped inputtong heart energy into the spellbook; thusly, its Alice-blow glow vanished. Izo—as Metalix said—was watching them, and when he noticed their book had ceased to glow, he too stop using up heart energy. As a result, both of the Ganzu-class spells ceased fire.

"Izo?" Nylon looked over his shoulder quizzically at his bookkeeper. "They stopped attacking on purpose," Izo responded with his aqua green eyes still locked on them, "They're planning something. I just know it."

"Congratulations, Nylon and Izo Uramori, for pushing me this far." Metallix boomed droningly, "But I am afraid that is as far as you shall go. Prepare for instant termination. Linda, do it. Cast the spell that will unleash my true form."

"True…form?" Izo and Nylon repeated those words cautiously.

"That's correct." Professor Linda spoke, "This current form you see Metallix in allows him to take the energy from the city and this plant. He possesses a second form that allows him to go all-out on his opponent with this energy." With that said, Professor Linda jumped off the top of Metallix and onto the ground beside him as the Alice-blue spellbook glowed again, "And here it is! Datar Muruk!"

The light blue material inside the tube illuminated brightly as electrical energy sparked around it calamitously. Nylon eyed the scene fearlessly but carefully, "Izo, get ready to summon my sword. The real fight starts here and now." Izo nodded tensely, "Right…"

The electrical energy present around the windmills travelled from them and formed a web-like structure with the glowing Metallix at the center. Slowly, the electrical energy thinned and raised themselves from the ground—those were the "wires" mentioned earlier that connected Metallix to the windmills. Pretty soon, the light-show ceased to reveal Metallix in his true form: a giant, dark blue mechanical golem with six wire-like tentacles protruding from its back.

Nylon tensed up slightly as he practically felt Metallix's glare upon him, "Mm…Houston, we have a king-sized problem."

"Targets sighted." Metallix spoke, the blue light bar on his head in place of normal eyes flashing with each syllable uttered. The artificial hinges on Metallix's body that acted as joints creaked loudly as he began moving around Nylon, "Initiating the assault!"

"Now, Izo! Hurry!" Nylon urged as he got in a battle stance. Izo gritted his teeth as the dark brown spellbook glowed, "Sorudo Shigeru!" A whitish-silver light appeared in Nylon's right hand and then solidified. In its placed was a sword; the blade was a sleek sliver color with a comparatively wide hilt guard.

"Sit tight, Izo, and regain your heart energy. Leave the rest to me!" Nylon directed as he held up Sorudo Shigeru determinedly, the blade reflecting Metallix's image with a glint. "Go, Nylon!" Izo encouraged.

"Vanish!" Metallix threw a punch that Nylon sidestepped to dodge, the ground cracking on impact. "Make me." Nylon taunted as he jumped and went for a slash; however, one of the six wire-like tentacles lashed out at Nylon and smacked him back to earth. "Challenge accepted." Metallix said as he raised both of his hulky, mechanical arms.

Quickly, while still on his back, Nylon swung Sorudo Shigeru right when those arms of Metallix came down. Metallix's strength was overwhelming; Nylon could only grit his teeth as his sword inched downward closer and closer to his body. "Roll out of the way, Nylon!" Izo directed hurriedly.

"_Easier said than done, Izo." _Nylon thought sarcastically with a roll of his red-violet eyes. But he had no time to think like that in this situation. The only thing that prevented him from being flattened by one ton of machinery was his fluctuating sword.

In one swift movement, Nylon used all of his strength to perform a push with his swords, placed his feet flat on the ground, and threw himself out of the way. Metallix's arms slammed on the ground thunderously, cracking the ground and kicking up a bit of dust.

"That…" Nylon paused to catch his breath and stand up, "Was cutting it too close…"

"Keep still." Metallix demanded as he lashed out one wire-like tentacle. "Not on your life!" Nylon shouted as he swung Sorudo Shigeru and sliced off that wire. "I have five more coming!" Metallix unfalteringly lashed out the others; Nylon only managed to dodge three of them before the remaining two ensnared his body. "Oh crap!" Nylon screamed as he struggled.

"Linda!" Metallix called out. Professor Linda smiled as she opened the Alice-blue spellbook, "Your timing is impeccable, Metallix. Read y to go." With that said, it began to glow. Izo, seeing that, found no choice but to put himself back into the fray.

"Gigano Datarum!"

"Shigeruk!"

The island practically shook as Metallix unleashed its attack on Nylon. Izo gritted his teeth uneasily as he watched Nylon skid across the ground from the blast, "Man, even with Shigeruk activated, that attack was powerful. More than before."

To prove that point, Nylon in his Shigeruk-induced state had finally shed blood—from above his left eye and his shoulder. "Man…I've…really let myself go…" The silver-haired Mamodo panted laboriously. "That is the power of my true form." Metallix said as he began walking toward Nylon, his mechanical joints creaking in tandem with heavy stomps.

"Izo, let this be a lesson to us." Nylon said ignoring the approaching Mamodo for a moment, "Never go anywhere opposing forces tell you to go. Let them come to you." Izo sighed exasperatedly, "I will definitely remember that next time."

"There won't be a next time." Professor Linda said menacingly and then said another spell, "Datar Rejun!" The light blue bar on Metallix's face glowed brightly, "Scanning…scanning." Metallix droned robotically. "What?" Nylon got in a battle stance again, not liking what was going on so far.

"_That spell scans?" _Izo thought, _"Scans what? For a weak point, vitality rate, statistics, what?" _

"Gigano Datarum." Professor Linda recited. Metallix raised one of five wire-like tentacles as it amassed light blue energy. Then, it released a concentrated blast of it. "Dodge that!" Izo yelled. "I know that!" Nylon responded as he expeditiously evaded to the right.

Izo grinned, "Perfect—" Right as he said that, Gigano Datarum , as if magnetized, pivoted back toward Nylon and struck him dead in his back. Izo's grin immediately faded as Nylon spat up blood, was knocked out of his Shigeruk state, and hit the ground. "No way…" Izo muttered in disbelief, his expression matching the tone of his voice.

"Datar Rejun allows Metallix to scan his opponent," Professor Linda explained, "so that the next spell casted will home on to the scanned target. It's inescapable."

Izo gripped the dark brown spellbook tightly in frustration, _"This is what I get for coming into this blindly. Nylon and I are suffering because we fell into our opponents' hands throughout this whole battle!" _Metallix turned to Izo and commanded firmly, "Relinquish that book. This battle is over."

Izo scoffed, giving both Metallix and Professor Linda the implication he was not going to hand it over. "Always the hard way." Professor Linda muttered forlornly.

"Of…course…it is…."

Metallix and Professor Linda shot surprised looks to a rising Nylon. Despite the bad injury he received to the back—which also nearly rendered his cloak nonexistent—from Gigano Daratum, the seventeen-year-old Mamado was standing back up, albeit painstakingly.

"I see you want to fight until the bitter end." Metallix said pointedly as he lifted up all of his wire-like tentacles. "A knight…never…flees his foe." Nylon replied determinedly. "A knight, you say? Interesting." Metallix said as light energy began convening in these tentacles, "Take that honor with you to the grave."

"Gigano Datarum!" Professor Linda said the spell loud and proud, hoping this would finally end the battle. _"No! Nylon's strong but he can only stay up for so long!" _Izo thought panicked, _"I need to cast a powerful spell to save him—"_

"GO BOREN!"

Out of nowhere, a powerful attack struck Metallix square in his torso. The mechanical Mamodo exclaimed in pain, and instantly lost the focus he was putting into Gigano Datarum. Metallix even fell on his back from the impact. Izo, and Nylon could only stare wide-eyed at the occurrence. It was certainly unexpected.

"Wh-Who's responsible?" Professor Linda shouted questioningly, knowing full-well Nylon could not have been the cause.

"So…you two are the reason for those blackouts at the airport." A calm and reserved voice said austerely. Nylon saw the person as he landed before him. He wore a long, white-haired Mamodo causing a Chinese-style outfit. "Do I…know you?" Nylon questioned.

"You don't," The male Mamodo responded as he looked at Nylon with a small smile, "Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Wonrei."

It was at this time someone placed a hand on Izo's shoulder. "Don't worry. You have allies now." The ash grey-haired male looked to see a dark-haired female wearing a predominantly red Chinese outfit like Wonrei. She was holding a royal purple spellbook. "Boy, am I glad to hear that. Things weren't looking up for me and Nylon," Izo said appreciatively and in relief, "My name, by the way, is Izo Uramori."

"And I'm Li-En." The girl know introduced as Li-En replied with a smile, "And that's Wonrei—"

Everone stopped talking when they heard a metallic thud: Metallix rising back to his feet with an aura of displeasure about him. "Now who do you think you are? You aren't invited here." Metallix said to Wonrei.

Wonrei tore his attention away from Nylon and gave Metallix a cold look, "I'm afraid that no longer matters. It seems you're responsible for the blackouts occurring at the airport and ultimately the city. Li-En and I are obligated to help assist Nylon and his bookkeeper from a threat like you."

"Hmph!" Metallix scoffed as his wire-like tentacles all aimed themselves at Wonrei and Nylon, "Linda, if you would so kindly." Professor Linda nodded as Metallix's spellbook began to glow again, "Certainly. Ganzu Datarum!"

"Li-En, a defensive spell!" Wonrei shouted as he extended his hands. "Rerudo!" Li-En recited, the royal purple spellbook glowing magnificently. As Metallix unleashed multiples blast of light blue energy, Wonrei created a green, glass-like shield in order to protect himself and Nylon from shots threatening to connect. "I wonder how long that small thing will work." Metallix said aloud as he kept up his assault.

"Ave Shield!" Suddenly, in addition to Wonrei's Reudo, a large steel shield manifested and further defended the two Mamodo against Ganzu Datarum.

"You still can fight, I see!" Wonrei said, looking at the struggling Nylon from the corner of his eyes. "Y-Yes," Nylon responded, "Even if reinforcements come…a knight must fight to the very last breath."

"Then let's do it." Wonrei said determinedly as they both dropped their defensive spells at the same time Metallix stopping using Ganzu Datarum. "Linda, have me scan them!" Metallix directed. "Datar Rejun!" Professor Linda, and the bar on Metallix's face glowing translucently.

"Redoruk!" In sudden flash of green light, Wonrei sprinted straight toward Metallix until he was right in front of them. "Go Redoruk!"

"HI-YA!" Wonrei then proceeded to kick Metallix's torso with great force, disrupting Datar Rejun and causing the mechanical Mamodo to drawl in pain.

"Shigeruk!" To futher add insult to injury, Nylon—coated in a silver aura and his body and clothing having a metallic sheen—jumped straight toward Metallix's face and drove his knee straight into that light blue bar.

The sounds of glass shattering echoed across the tense sea breeze as Metallix once again fell on his back. Professor Linda, meanwhile, could stand with utter disbelief in her hazel eyes. "I-Impossible…Metallix is getting knocked around in his true form!"

Both Wonrei and Nylon landed back on the ground, skidding on the surface for only two seconds before coming to a stop. "Gee, Wonrei. You certainly know how to fight." Nylon commented in an impressed tone. Wonrei shook his head as he said humbly, "It's nothing, really." Nylon arched a curious silver brow as he nodded in the direction of the struggling Metallix, "_That _was nothing? Your movements are both powerful and fluid compared to my rigid skills."

"And here I thought hand-to-hand wouldn't work against Metallix." Izo said as he looked at Li-En, "You two proved me wrong." Li-En replied, "That's just our power. The bond between Wonrei and I also strengthen the power of our spells. Through any situation, our bond makes sure we will win."

Izo smiled, "That's inspiring to hear." As the two bookkeepers conversed, Metallix attacked Wonrei and Nylon using either his wire-like tentacles, gigantic arms, or his powerful stomps. Much to the mechanical Mamodo's and his bookkeeper's chagrin, Wonrei and Nylon were evading the attacks. Li-En then asked, "But when do you suppose Nylon will reach his limit? I can tell it's a battle for him to continue dodging to the best of his ability."

"Not sure exactly; hard to tell in this situation." Izo replied, "I, on the other hand, am pretty low on heart energy."

With a roar of effort, Metallix attempted to punch Nylon, but the silver-haired Mamodo jumped back to dodge. When he landed, although he attempted to fight back, his injuries let loose a pang of pain throughout his body, causing him to fall on his left knee. "Now is my chance!" Metallix declared as pulled back his fist.

"Gar Redoruk!"

Professor Linda, unlike her Mamodo partner, noticed Wonrei coming at him as an energized, high-speed drill. This prompted her to say a defensive spell, "Datarudo! To your left, Metallix!" Hearing—and heeding—the words his bookkeeper, Metallix turned to the direction of Wonrei's Gar Redoruk and summoned a light blue, rhombus-shaped shield to block it.

"Well…I'm good for two more spells; a basic one and then one, last good one." Izo announced as Nylon's spellbook glowed ecru, "Shigeru." Nylon extended his arms, solidified whitish-silver energy inside the triangle formed by his forefingers and thumbs, and fired a steel ball at Metallix's right knee.

Because he was dealing with Gar Redoruk, Metallix was unprepared for the impact of it. As a result, he lost concentration to keep up his Datarudo, and Wonrei broke through it and struck Metallix in the head. "Great job, Wonrei!" Li-En said encouragingly as the fifteen-year-old Mamodo landed on the ground.

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Metallx bellowed uncharacteristically, making everyone's eyes widen, "This travesty has gone on long enough! Linda, my strongest spell! Their deletion is now imminent!" Professor Linda hesitated; based on the sparks on Metallix's mechanical façade, she wasn't sure his body could handle the strain of their strongest spell against whatever Wonrei and Nylon could dish out. "I don't recall stuttering, Linda." Metallix spoke again sternly. "O-Okay!" Professor Linda went against her better judgment and decided to comply; the Alice-blue spellbook glowed vigorously as Linda poured the rest of heart energy into it.

"Uh-oh. Looks I don't have much of a choice." Izo said as he too put the rest of his heart energy into his brightly glowing spellbook. "Don't worry," Li-En said reassuringly as the royal purple spellbook glowed just as radiantly, "Our combined strongest spells will end this. Just trust in Nylon's abilities, and ours."

"Dioga Datarum!"

All of Metallix's wire-like tentacles glowed light blue as energy particles went into them. Then, he released all of this energy in the form a bright blue energy beam that seemed to engulf his body at the base of it.

"Rao Diboren!"

Wonrei slashed down, causing the apparition of a giant white tiger with three tails to appear from the arc of his slash. Rao Diboren and Dioga Datarum clashed powerfully, causing the ground to further crack from the resultant energy spike.

"Satetsu Shigeru!"

Nylon jumped high into the air and small silver lights appeared around and near his body. Then, Nylon sent out these lights, which assumed the form of glowing stainless steel blades. This powerful barrage assisted Rao Diboren in taking down Dioga Datarum and, since it also had more range than it, managed to attack the base of the beam. Professor Linda fell down from the initial shockwave, dropping Metallix's spellbook consequently, and one of those blades struck it, igniting it.

Now with this elimination for the tournament around the corner, Dioga Datarum started to falter in strength. With a cry of effort, Wonrei added pressure and Rao Diboren began going straight through Dioga Datarum. "…I've lost…" Metallix whispered in defeat the moment he saw the feral eyes of the white tiger glowering right in front of him.

It took a full two minutes for the dust and smoke to settle after Rao Diboren and Satetsu Shigeru ended the battle against Metallix. Li-En, Wonrei, Nylon, and Izo—the latter two were using each other as supports—all stood before a dematerializing Metallix with an unconscious Professor Linda at the side.

"You were a strong opponent, Metallix, I must admit. It was honor battling against you." Nylon proclaimed as Izo nodded in agreement. "That feeling is mutual. To you, and the newcomers." Metallix drawled, "Which is I must give you this information…"

The eyebrows of Li-En, Wonrei, Nylon, and Izo rose slightly in confusion.

"…You are being watched, so be careful." Metallix said mysteriously. When the last flicker of flames consumed his spellbook, Metallix disappear completely and returned to the Mamodo World.

"We're being watched? What does that mean?" Li-En asked aloud, looking at the now night sky pensively. "Whatever it means, let us all be on our guards from here on out." Wonrei stated.

"A knight is always prepared for the field of battle." Nylon responded resolutely, smiling. "And it was honor fighting alongside you two," Izo said thankfully, "It's odd how fate can be sometimes."

Li-En chuckled, "You're certainly right, Izo."

"And after seeing your skills, I would like to ask something." Wonrei spoke. Izo and Nylon looked at the Mamodo martial artist curiously, signaling him to continue. "Li-En and I are on our way to assist other friends. We're going to fight someone named Zofis and Mamodo from one thousand years ago in South America at Deboro Ruins. If it would be too much trouble on such short notice, we understand, but we would like to have as much allies as possible."

"Mamodo from one thousand years ago?" Izo repeated quizzically. "Sounds serious," Nylon said, "Well, I'm up for it, but we need to find out if it's too much on Izo's schedule. I can't go if Izo can't."

"Take your time! There's isn't that much of a rush!" Li-En responded, "Just make sure to let someone named Kiyo Takamine in Mochinoki City know your answer. We'll tell him about you two when we get the chance."

"Thank you!" Izo and Nylon bowed respectfully. "Oh, and Wonrei?" Nylon said to the Mamodo martial artist. Wonrei looked at the silver-haired Mamodo curiously, Yes?"

"Contemplate getting a haircut." Nylon joked as he grinned. Izo burst out laughing as Li-En giggled. For a moment, Wonrei simply gave Nylon a blank and expressionless look but smiling good-humoredly, "I'll keep that in mind. You just worry about building up your stamina."

As the four shared hearty sentiments after a victory well-earned, they had forgotten about Metallix's words—they were being watched.

"Deboro Ruins at South America…" Mystrael muttered as she leaned against one of the deactivated propeller wings of a windmill. "Seems like that is our next place is go, Mystrael." Myriam said, also leaning on another propeller wing.

"Let's just hope we're not leading ourselves on an unnecessary tangent." Mystrael stated. "We're not," Myriam replied, "You get to see what kind of candidates you have for Mamodo King, and I have the chance of possibly finding…him."

Mystrael smiled mysteriously, "So very true, Myriam. Now let us leave this scene." The lavender grey spellbook in Myriam's hands that were behind her back glowed lightly, "Maboruk."

In the darkness of the night, the two mysterious females disappear in search of their next clue.


	5. Chapter 5: Get Ready to Go

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru. Izo Uramori, Myriam, Mystrael, Metallix, and Professor Linda.

**Chapter 5: Get Ready to Go**

Angelica collapsed on her bed tiredly. Another two hours of studying down the drain, but this study session was more arduous than previously. This was mainly because of her battle with Kido and Dr. Riddles just yesterday. She had some difficulty keeping her mind set on one thing without it wandering off to the words Dr. Riddles said to her.

"_You two have potential and power deep in your souls that only you can unlock. Me, Kido, Zatch, Kiyo, and all of our allies heading to fight Zofis need power like that. So…I'll talk to Kiyo about this. Whether you show up late or early does not, just please come to South American and fight on our side. We'll be waiting for you."_

Not only that, there was also something else she discovered: the new spell. Angelica pulled out the puce spellbook from her backpack and opened up to the age where the new spell was. The unspoken words were glowing purple, like how the book would when a spell was recited. Angelica then turned her head lazily to E who was napping on a divan against the wall. _"Can we…really do it?" _Angelica asked herself, concerning both going to South American and reading the possibly powerful—and scary—new spell.

"Ang! You have a visitor; it's Izo!" Mrs. Tsukoro called from downstairs. Angelica quickly shoved the puce spellbook back into her backpack and rose from her bed.

The dark-haired girl made her way downstairs and, sure enough, Izo was there waiting for her with a smile. "Yo." He greeted. Izo opted to wear a different long-sleeved shirt so as to hide the injury he gained in him and Nylon's battle against Metallix yesterday.

Angelica smiled, "Hey there, Izo. What can I help you with?" Izo replied inquiringly, "Well, can we go up to your room first off?" Angelica blinked twice before answering unsurely, "Um…Sure?"

"Just play nice, you two!" Mrs. Tsukoro teased with a small grin. Angelica blushed three shades of red as she whined, "Moooom!" Hurriedly, she went upstairs as Izo sheepishly followed.

Meanwhile, Curtis was also on his way to the terrace Angelica lived in. He was driving in a navy blue Mustang, the radio blaring semi-loud rock music as he drove. Curtis lived in a terrace as well ten miles away from Angelica's; thankfully, since Curtis, being seventeen, could drive, the duration of the trip didn't take long.

"Hopefully Ang has the notes I missed. Sucks that Harumi is hangin' somewhere else." Curtis said to himself, bobbing his head slightly to the beat on his radio. A minute or two later, Curtis could see the parking lot of the terrace come into view.

"Ah, I'm here." Curtis said as he turned off the radio and parallel-parked in-between a van and Izo's car. It wasn't until Curtis had turned off his car and got out that he noticed he had parked right next his classmate's vehicle. "…Huh. Didn't expect Izo to be here," Curtis thought aloud and then chuckled, "Never thought the dude would start fallin' behind like me!"

Curtis then started jogging up the stairways until he reached the door to the Tsukoro Family's room. He knocked on the door three times and waited. Some seconds afterward, Mr. Tsukoro opened the door, "Oh, hello there, Curtis! My, Ang is certainly popular today."

Knowing the father was referring to Izo, Curtis chuckled, "She sure is. I guess that means she's here cuz I need her help too." Mr. Tsukoro replied as he stepped aside, "Certainly. Come on in, she and Izo are just upstairs in her room."

" 'Preciate it!" Curtis responded as he stepped inside and began making his short way to Angelica's room. When he reached the top of the stairs, he could already hear the sounds of Izo, Ang, and E conversing. "Gee, they started the party without me?" Curtis said, chuckling as he prepared to knock the door.

"You're going to South America?"

Curtis paused when he heard both Angelica and E exclaim on the other side of the door. That was certainly did not sound like asking for notes. Curiously, Curtis placed his right ear against the surface of the door to see if he could perceive the rest of the conversation.

"Yeah, I am." Izo confirmed. "For how long?" Angelica inquired. Izo fell notably quiet when his female classmate and best friend asked him that. Both Angelica and E took note of this sudden quietude. They were about to ask something else when another person decided to drop in the conversation.

"Izo, you might as well stop beating around the bush."

Everyone—Curtis from behind the door gasped quietly—turned to the suddenly opened window in Angelica's room. Nylon was standing there, squatting on the windowsill. His injuries were also covered. "Nylon? You're here?" E exclaimed in both shock and relief. Angelica exchanged dumbfounded looks between E, Izo, and Nylon repeatedly before shouting calamitously, "JUST WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?"

E recoiled slightly from the volume Angelica applied in her confused cry, Curtis had to remove his ear from the door to massage it, and Izo and Nylon—surprisingly—kept their composure.

Izo reached into the collar of his outfit and presented the top-half of Nylon's dark brown spellbook to the telepathic duo. "I don't know if you know about this or not, but Nylon and I were asked to help a resistance fight against Zofis in South America. We accepted."

"You…You have a spellbook, too." Angelica said softly, her eyes never leaving the sight of the spellbook until Izo put it back in. "Secret's out, it seems." E replied casually. "What secret? You're alien butt gives anything away." Nylon joked, but regretted it when E gave him a glare with his green eyes.

"Yeah, Ang, I do." Izo confirmed and then asked curiously, "So what about you? Are you going to come with us?" Angelica sighed as she looked down. First Dr. Riddles approached her about it, now her best friend and classmate. Deciding to answer for her, E spoke up, "We were already asked. We're not strong enough to go, so we decline."

Nylon chuckled loudly as he entered the room, jumping off the windowsill, "Not strong enough? That's not supposed to come out of your mouth, E." He said, "You guys aren't scared, are you?"

"Um…" Angelica and E droned in embarrassment. Well, they weren't scared of the enemies that lied there, but they were apprehensive of what their ailment would do to them there, where no mercy would be given to them. "…You're kidding me, right?" Nylon deadpanned in disbelief.

"Not exactly, Nylon." Izo spoke, gazing at both of them intently, "There's something more to it, isn't there?" Angelica tensed up, only slightly though. Sometimes, Izo could be too analytical for his own good. "Whatever it is, Ang, E," Izo said comfortingly, "Don't let that bring you down. You guys got this far in the battle. Fear can't bring you down now."

"Izo, I wish it were that simple." Angelica said in defeat as E looked on somberly. Curtis on the other side of the door was simply listening on, expressionless and thoughtless. Izo placed both of his hands on Angelica's shoulder, causing her to flush lightly from the sudden contact, as he continued, "Nothing is ever complicated, we only make it so. Ang…Nylon and the rest of us need as much help as possible. Please consider this."

Angelica sighed softly, "I'll try, Izo. I'll try."

Izo's hands returned to his side as he said, "I'll see what I can do for them to make arrangements to accommodate you. I expect you to come, albeit lately." Angelica could only nod, and so could E. This was a lot of pressure on them. Were they really that strong?

Curtis, having heard the whole conversation, was deliberating on the subject himself. Izo and this other, Nylon, were apparently heading to South America, Angelica and E were asked to assist them and others, and they mentioned something about a spellbook. Now, Curtis wasn't the brightest of people, but he wasn't in three out of five honor classes for no reason. He quickly two-and-two together as he quietly but quickly made his exit down the stairs.

"I'll be right back, Mr. and Mrs. Tsukoro! Don't tell Ang that though!" Curtis yelled to the parents as he left the apartment room. Confused, the two parents could only say, "OK…" before going back to their business, thinking that teenagers were getting weirder and weirder with each generation.

"_So, Ang and E need a confidence-booster, huh?" _Curtis said as he drove his car as fast as he could back to his terrace, _"Heh, aight. I ain't gon' trip. We all need that every now and then. Izo seems to have broken her, but I'll be the one to fully convince her. I just hope she's still at my house."_

Curtis arrived back at his terrace, not even wondering how the deities above prevented him from not getting a large speeding ticket. Luckily, based on their car not being in their assigned parking spot, his parents had not returned for shopping in Tokyo yet. So, that meant a little luck was on his side, and he would have versatility in this situation.

Curtis hurriedly turned off his car and removed his apartment keys from his pocket. His apartment room, although not as big as Ang's, was pretty decently-sized, and it was located only on the third floor too, saving him the trouble of jogging up the stairs for an extended period of time. Inserting the keys into the lock and unlocking it, Curtis flung the door and closed it behind him.

"Yo, Gretchen! You here?" Curtis shouted, his voice echoing through the empty halls of the apartment room. When he got no response, he started to worry if Gretchen left for the time being. That is, until he got a sudden insight. The Herrakoro Family's apartment was one of the few that provided a balcony—and it gave a good view of the Rainbow Bridge in the faraway distance.

Curtis quickly rushed down the main hallway, a straightaway lane toward said balcony. He pulled the screen door to the side and saw just who he wanted to see. Leaning against the balcony bored in a board manner was a fifteen-year-old female Mamodo sporting burnt umber hair tied into a ponytail. From what could be seen in her position, she wore a black jacket, the hem of the jacket flowing in the breeze like a cape or cloak, and black combat boots.

"Ah, Gretchen. Thought you'd be here." Curtis said, announcing his presence. Gretchen turned around, casting a slightly surprised with her pupil-less celestial blue to the boy, and responded, "Oh, Curtis. You're back." She turned completely, revealing her jacket to be unzipped and long-sleeved and she was sporting a black shirt as a top.

"Yeah, but I gotta back and need to take you with me." Curtis announced. Gretchen blinked in a perplexed manner, "And why is that?" Curtis elaborated, "Listen. This is a serious thing concerning E and Angelica. I need you to help me with this."

Gretchen stared at the gamer unblinkingly and with narrowed eyes, "Does it involved battling?"

Curtis crossed his arms as he looked off to the side, "You could say that." Gretchen looked at the sun to conjecture what the time was. She said in a somewhat shocked tone, "But it's only late afternoon. You actually want to battle a Mamodo instead of playing video games?"

Curtis gritted his teeth and snapped back seriously, "Oh come on, Gretchen! This involves a friend of mine! I thought you would be more willin' than this!" Gretchen snickered, "Fine, fine. I'll humor you. Not many chances like this come up when it comes to you."

"Then move your ass already!" Curtis yelled as he, out of nowhere, gripped the collar of Gretchen's shirt and literally started dragging her back to his car. "H-HEY! HEY! COULD YOU LET ME STAND ON MY FEET! CURTIS!"

* * *

><p>Angelica, meanwhile, was doing her best to concentrate on her studies. Sadly, her mind was plagued by the words of Izo and Dr. Riddles, hampering her study skills at the moment. <em>"For the love of God, how the heck am I supposed to get ready for my exams now?" <em>Angelica thought outrageously.

"Maybe you're worrying about it too much." E suddenly spoke from behind, causing the dark-haired girl to jump in shock. "Geez, E! You don't always to have to read minds!" She reprimanded him. "Sorry, but with you constantly having that on your mind, it gets to my attention." E replied.

"Then lemme be the one to clear those thoughts."

Both Angelica and E jumped at the unexpected vocal addition to the conversation. Abruptly and curiously, Angelica and E looked at the visitor the former's room, "Curtis?" It was certainly not often one-especially Angelica-to see Curtis with a humorless and serious look on his face. "Ang, E, come outside. I'm issuing a challenge." Curtis said austerely.

In unison, Angelica and E's heads tilted to one side curiously, "Challenge? What kind?"

From the small sports bag hanging over his shoulder, Curtis suddenly pulled out a battleship grey spellbook, "That answer your question? Put your rears in gear; my Mamodo partner, Gretchen, is outside for waitin' for us."

* * *

><p>Gretchen twirled her scythe idly as she looked out onto the scenery. She was getting impatient; Curtis went to get E and Angelica about ten minutes ago. In her opinion at least, it doesn't take that long to issue a challenge between teams involved in the Mamodo Fight.<p>

"My bad, Gretchen. Our challengers were bein' punks."

Gretchen couldn't help but grin when she heard that—and later saw how apprehensive Angelica looked—as Curtis walked to her side. "It's fine." She said in reply and then looked at Angelica and E, "So, are we ready?"

"Wait!" E shouted, "Let me ask this question: why are you doing this?"

"A lil birdie told me you're tryin' to go to South America." Curtis answered as he opened the battleship grey spellbook. Gretchen herself wondered what was the reason for this meeting, but it was a battle—something she hadn't enjoyed in a long time. "W-Wait. Say what?" Angelica exclaimed in shock.

"You better do somethin' quickly cuz here we come!" Curtis announced as the battleship grey spellbook glowed a blackish color, "Ligar!" Gretchen gripped the shaft of her scythe as the blade leaks dark energy, and then swing it to release a small crescent-shaped energy wave.

"Why won't you answer me, Curtis? What's gotten into you?" Angelica questioned frenziedly. E flew in front of her and rationalized, "That doesn't matter, Angelica! Cast a spell quickly!" Gritting her teeth in defeat, Angelica opened up the puce spellbook and recited, "Ieruga!"

E's glassy green eyes glowed a whitish color and discharged a beam of whitish energy toward the Ligar. The two spells clashed for about three seconds before knocking each off on a crash course to oblivion. "I would answer you, Ang," Curtis spoke as the battleship grey spellbook glowed some more, "But me and Gretchen don't like talkin' while we fight. Ligar!"

"You lose precious time to attack when you talk in battle." Gretchen added as she jumped forward and swung again. She repeated that one more time, sending two crescent-shaped waves at the telepathic duo after closing some of the distance.

"_She tried to throw us off by sending Ligar at two different points." _Angelica deliberated as the puce spellbook glowed purple, _"Luckily, E has a spell to get around that." _"Aruk!"

In a flash of pink, E teleported out of the way as the two shots of Ligar continued their now useless trip. "Teleportation?" Curtis said warily. "That's right," Angelica informed, "Now, Sora Iera!"

E reappeared behind Angelica as whitish blades of psychic energy formed from his arms. "Behind you, Gretchen!" Curtis exclaimed. Gretchen gripped her scythe and turned sharply, the blade of her scythe clashing with E's right-hand blade. Sparks flew as the two Mamodo continued their parrying.

"Hm. E's pretty good when it comes to close-range combat." Curtis remarked as he watched the scene. Angelica smiled sheepishly as she replied, "He tries." Curtis then smirked, "So I see; however, my girl Gretchen is better than that."

To prove his point, Gretchen upped her game. This time, she opted not to swing and instead faded backwards. E wound up swinging at air, surprising him. Quickly, she then swung her scythe double-handedly. E, although still surprised, managed to sidestep the swing, causing the tip of the blade of the scythe to imbed itself to the ground.

"Gotcha." Gretchen said, grinning. She used the handle of scythe for support in order to swing her legs toward E and kick him aggressively. E groaned loudly as he was kicked away and landed roughly on the pavement. "Told ya." Curtis boasted, arms behind his hand languidly, as Gretchen landed on her feet while putting her scythe's blade out of the ground.

Luckily, when Angelica noticed Gretchen get the upper hand, she closed her eyes to prevent herself from the seeing the actual impact—something she and E made a habit of in some of the battles they previously had. "Not bad…" E remarked as he got up, signaling Angelica could open her eyes again. "Shouldn't that be my line?" Gretchen responded, still grinning as she idly spun her scythe.

"Yeah, you pretty tough, little dude." Curtis commented in an impressed tone, "Strongest ones we've battled yet." Gretchen rolled her eyes, "In the little battles we've had." Curtis shot a glare at her with his pale pink eyes.

"But I still want to know!" Angelica spoke, "Curtis, you're acting a little differently than what I usually know you from. Not to mention you JUST revealed to us you have a Mamodo that you seem to have kept hidden from us, and you challenge us to battle without giving us a reason. WHAT'S GOING ON?"

"Damn, girl, you don't have to yell!" Curtis retorted as Gretchen flinched slightly from Ang's voice. "Fine," He conceded, "I'll tell you a lil bit of my intentions, seeing as I kinda dragged Gretchen into this too, but _only _lil a bit. We're gonna get straight back to it once I'm done." Hearing that, E and Angelica stayed both attentive and ready.

"Plain and simple, I overheard you and Izo; I was comin' to yo room to get notes I missed." The ecru-haired male finally answered, "Heard everything, too. Now you know why I know 'bout that South America mess."

"Oh, for the love of God," Angelica snorted, "First, Dr. Riddles, then Izo, and now you. Am I really that important?"

Curtis glared at her humorlessly, "I ain't jokin' around, Ang." The dark-haired girl instantly clammed up while E mentally remarked, _"So THIS is what lies behinds that gamer. Very scary." _Gretchen had to admit the same thing. For as long as she knew Curtis as her partner, he never acted like this before.

"What you're lackin' is self-confidence. I don't know why you think you two are pretty weak, but the least I can do as a friend is prove you wrong." Curtis said as the battleship grey spellbook glowed its blackish glow again, "Now, nuff talk! Ganzu Ligar!"

Gretchen gripped the black shaft of her scythe with both hands and swung it at an amazingly rapid pace, sending out numerous ,black, crescent-shaped projectiles. "Angelica, a defensive spell! We actually encountered an opposing team whose giving us a bit of a break." E said. Angelica hit herself on the forehead with the puce spellbook; she really had enough of all this, "Ieshun." She recited unenthusiastically.

E raised his arms and summoned a dark purple sphere outlined by pink around his floating body. The psychic field blocked and deflected the Ganzu Ligar. "Keep at it, Gretchen!" Curtis encouraged, continuing to put heart energy into the book. As per his instructions, Gretchen continued to swing her scythe rapidly and send out her attack. "No choice but to do the same." E said as he maintained the use of Ieshun.

"_I have better idea, E." _Angelica telepathically said to him as she closed her eyes, _"Aruk!"_ E stopped using Ieshun suddenly in order to teleport in a flash of pink again, prompting both Curtis and Gretchen to stop. "He disappeared?" They exclaimed in surprise.

"_Ieshun!" _

E reappeared in front of Gretchen and released the orbicular psychic field again. Gretchen couldn't do anything as she was knocked away with the powerful force. "Gretchen!" Curtis yelled, whipping his head to the direction Gretchen landed some feet away.

"You'll have to do better than that if you want to beat us, Curtis." Angelica said, smirking a little. Gretchen stood back, injured slightly and picking up her scythe, as she commented, "Bold talk coming from supposed weaklings."

"Right back at ya, Ang." Curtis responded, "Gretchen's a really tough girl. You won't keep her down with such simple attacks." The battleship grey spellbook glowed once again as Curtis recited, "Garuligar!" Gretchen extended out an arm that held her scythe and rotated it quickly, rivaling that of the propellers of an active helicopter. Then, as dark energy surrounded her and the scythe, she flew straight toward, the dark energy forming that of a drill around her and the spinning scythe.

"Here she comes and fast too!" E alerted his bookkeeper as he got ready. Angelica, meanwhile, was debating what to do, _"Would Ieshun be enough? Maybe I could use…No, I'll lose it for sure if I do that spell. I'm already on a good streak so far in this battle." _

"Aruk!" E teleported once again to avoid Gretchen's Garuligar. "Damn, Gretchen! Ya missed!" Curtis reprimanded. "Shut up!" Gretchen snapped as she turned around, the Garuligar performing a half-loop to revert its course. When E reappeared in the battlefield, he was directly in Garuligar's line of fire. "E! Watch out!" Angelica exclaimed as s he shut her eyes. "Oh hell." E groaned and was then struck by Garuligar.

"Hey, Gretchen, you actually got him!" Curtis announced jubilantly as the spellbook stopped glowing and Gretchen landed before him. "I'm taking that as a compliment and leaving it at that." The scythe-wielding female responded.

"_E, if you're done recovering, I think I figured out their tactic." _Angelica telepathically communicated to the psychic Mamodo. _"Enlighten me…" _He mentally groaned in response. _"Gretchen's scythe! That's the source of their power! You have to strip her of it!" _Angelica mentally said. E looked at the scythe Gretchen was currently twirling, most likely waiting for them to strike. _"Now that you mention it…Yes, that will definitely. You just make sure you keep your eyes close if things get too scary-looking." _E mentally said. _"Of course!" _Angelica mentally responded, _"Now go!" _

With that, E floated straight toward Gretchen at full speed. "Ieruga!" Angelica recited as the puce spellbook glowed purple. Once again, E fired a whitish beam of psychic energy from his shield. "Curtis, defense spell!" Gretchen demanded as she held out her scythe. "I'm on it, I'm on it!" Curtis replied as the battleship grey spellbook glowed again, "Zena Shield!"

Curtis rotated her scythe in front of her until it formed a black, hurricane-like shield in front of her. It managed to block E's Ierugra and continued to. _"Almost there, almost there!" _E's mind rushed like a waterfall, continuing to fire Ieruga—as Ang kept inputting heart energy to the spell—while getting closer to Gretchen. Meanwhile, the scythe-wielding Mamodo was finding it increasingly difficult to keep the shield up as the struggle continued.

"C'mon, Gretchen, don't fail on me now!" Curtis encouraged, noticing that. "My skills are slipping…because we haven't been in enough…battles!" Gretchen replied, struggling even more.

"Well, you've lost this one, I'm afraid!" They two heard both Angelica's and E's voice and were instantly flabbergasted. "Ieshun!" Suddenly, the Ieruga disappeared, momentarily providing relief for Gretchen, but was instantly replaced with a powerful, orbicular psychic field. Because Zena Shield was actually Gretchen's scythe, the Ieshun broke through the shield, blasted Gretchen's scythe away, and propelled the female Mamodo into her partner.

"Ow, that hurt…" Curtis groaned, his eyes comically replaced with dizzy swirls. "It...did…" Gretchen agreed; she was in an equally dazed state as her partner.

"Alright, you two, enough is enough."

Curtis and Gretchen snapped out of their stupor and saw Angelica and E before them—the latter had Gretchen's fallen scythe in tow. "Didn't know you two had it in ya." Curtis said, standing up and readjusting his skull cap, "Ya'll must be thugs or something."

"Well, not to sound mean or anything," Angelica said, "You two didn't have much to offer."

"Well, Mr. Video Game Junkie over there," Gretchen spoke, shooting a tart glare from the corner of her eyes to Curtis, "is either booked with video games, schoolwork, or being just a plain lazy ass. We don't get involved in many battles because of him, so we're considered weak." Curtis returned the glare, "Listen here, you lil bi—"

"I-It's fine!" E stepped in, sensing that a verbal altercation could ensue if left unattended, "It's a relief for us actually, believe it or not." Angelica rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "Y-Yeah. It is."

"So, goin' to South America now?" Curtis asked decisively and then added, "You two pretty much proved you can hold your own. Though, I didn't think me and Gretchen were much of an opponent."

"…Um…" Angelica and E sounded in unison; they were still unsure of what to do.

"Oh, for the love of God," Gretchen groused, "If you two don't shape up, you're gonna get hurt real soon when the _real _Mamodo start rearing their ugly mugs. Then, you're gonna wish it never went that way."

"Gretchen does make a good point," Curtis added, "Besides, ya'll got good potential anyway. You guys just need to get over that lil "I'm weak" bullshit. Matter of fact…" The ecru-haired male turned to Gretchen and said, "How 'bout we go ourselves? Maybe it'll get you off my back."

Gretchen's eyes dilated in shock slightly. "…If that's the case, your friends need to be in trouble more often." She said, smiling a little. Curtis chuckled, "That make you feel happy, don't it? Tell the truth." Gretchen chuckled as well, unable to deny that.

Meanwhile, E and Angelica could only stare them—the former expressionlessly and the latter wonderingly. _"Curtis and Gretchen are going…even though they know just low their power is…?" _Angelica thought. She wasn't sure if they were just overdoing it, or just plain arrogant. Nonetheless, they were going, and they weren't scared of what could happen. Then again, Curtis always was one to not hesitate to do something—him playing video games and listening to is iPod during classes attributed to that. And it seemed Gretchen had bits of that personality despite how comparatively different she was to her partner.

Was Izo really right? Were things that simple? Did humans and Mamodo alike only make things complicated? Was fear really one of those instruments that dissuaded those who would let it? _"So, what are you going to do, Angelica?" _E telepathically asked her. Of course the psychic Mamodo couldn't contain himself and would read his partner's mind in the midst of her thoughts. _"It's going to be a hassle," _Angelica responded, _"but…"_

"Curtis, Gretchen, you two sure you want to go help fight?" Angelica asked the two. "Hell, why not?" The ecru-haired gamer responded, "'Course, as long as I bring my PSP or my iPad, I'm straight." Gretchen could only sigh and shake her head at her partner; she then answered Ang's question, "I have nothing better to do. Besides, I'm ecstatic to see what kind of new, interesting opponents we'll face."

Angelica took a deep breath,, "…Alright, guess we'll go too."

"Yeeeeeeah! That's my girl!" Curtis exclaimed elatedly, putting Angelica in headlock. "H-Hey, Curtis! You're messing up my braids!" Angelica fretted, trying to squirm out of Curtis' playful hold. E and Gretchen could only chuckle at their partners' foolishness, but they knew in the back of their minds they were concerned about what could happen to them.

As the four stood there and began discussing what to do next, they were yet again being watched.

"So that must be all of them." Mystrael proclaimed, cupping her chin in thought. Myriam nodded in agreement, "Now, all there is left to do is head to Deboro Ruins ourselves." She closed her eyes as she murmured, "I pray that he is there or else all this searching will be for naught."

"Then let's make it happen, Myriam." Mystrael said comfortingly, placing a hand on her partner's shoulder, "Both of our objectives will be accomplished. You can make up with him, and I'll find those that are definitely King-material."

"So be it," The lavender grey spellbook in Myriam's hands that were behind her back started to glow, "Go Maboruk." The shadows around the two ladies enveloped them in orbs which then extended into the sky as pillars of darkness before disappearing entirely.

The stage is set, the curtain has been raised, and the setting is Deboro Ruins—now let the show begin.

**Author Notes**

And finally Ang and E get enough confidence to head to South America with everyone else.

I'm afraid I won't put the WHOLE Deboro Ruins arc in detail with the inclusion of my characters and such. I feel that's kinda redundant. I will only write the important parts (which are like 2 or 3 chapters) and briefly summarize what happens in between.

Till then. Adios and Adieu!


	6. Chapter 6: Trial and Error

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru. Izo Uramori, Myriam, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, and Zale.

**Chapter 6: Trial and Error**

With Curtis, Gretchen, Angelica, and E becoming the last of the allies recruited, Zatch and his friends have finalized their army that will be heading to Deboro Ruins in South America. Curtis immediately called Izo to have him tell Dr. Riddles and the others he and Gretchen were coming. When asked about his scheduling and about his parents' consent, Curtis simply said "they wouldn't mind" and left it at that. Unlike Curtis and Gretchen, who immediately started heading over to meet their allies, Angelica and E opted to stay behind and get every single thing in order—seeing as Zatch and the others, as per Izo and Nylon's information, knew they were coming into the battle late.

The brave souls who have formed a resistance against Zofis are these legendary heroes and heroines: Zatch Bell and Kiyo Takamine, Tia and Megumi Oomi, Kanchome and Parco Folgore, Ponygon and Kafk Sunbeam, Dr. Riddles and Kido, Wonrei and Li-En, Curtis and Gretchen, Izo and Nylon, and Angelica and E. Working separately but jointly in their cause are Sherry Belmont and Brago, and the team whose alignment is completely unknown are Myriam and Mystrael.

The war against Zofis and his army of Millennium Mamodo has long since started but is nowhere near over. Zatch and the others have made impressive progression so far, triumphing over two of the Four Heavenly Kings and many other powerful underlings. Sadly, however, they lost one ally—Kido during his and Kanchome's fight against Belgium E.O.

Currently, the resistance has been divided: Zatch and Kiyo, Ponygon and Sunbeam, and Izo and Nylon formed one group—long finished their fight with Dalmos; Curtis and Gretchen were originally apart of the group of Kanchome and Folgore and Kido and Dr. Riddles until they volunteered to stay behind and handle a troublesome Ancient Mamodo; and Tia and Megumi and Wonrei and Li-En were the last—traveling further into the ruins after a long and grueling against Tsao-Lon. As of now, Angelica and E have still yet to make their appearance in the ruins, Sherry and Brago are being constantly held up by Ancient Mamodo in the forest below, and Myriam and Mystrael are absolutely nowhere to be found.

* * *

><p>In a single room in the higher levels of the ruins lied one particular team who was not in the action in the grounds below. The room was dark, a neutral yet chilling atmosphere about the room, with a single window shining light and providing view to the spoils of battle below.<p>

"Sounds like both sides are having fun." One of the two characters hidden in the room said with a composed yet astringent tone. In the sunlight, a pair of bright crimson eyes looked out it from the shadows and commented plainly, "If you call losing fun, then yes, they are."

"I wonder…" the first one spoke wonderingly, "will we be lucky enough to encounter any of the resistance that are actually strong?" The owner of the red eyes replied, "Who knows? Then again, at this pace, I wouldn't be surprised if any of the Ancient Mamodo actually lost."

The first hidden character would have snickered mercilessly at the red eyed person's remark, but the door to the room opened up abruptly. There stood a teal-haired girl sporting two large pigtails while wearing a rather vivid dress. "Shine! Zale! Zofis wants you two out in the battlefield now." The girl said commandingly.

The two figures stood up and revealed themselves in the light. It was true; Shine was back and sadly also suffered at the hands of Goren a thousand years ago. He looked somewhat different than before: his whitish-blue fur was now completely white, most likely from paling, his emerald eyes now had a constant ferocious glint in them, and his teeth were sharp and feral.

This partner, Zale, was an eighteen-year-old male with chin-length, two-layered black hair. His sharp, bright crimson eyes reflected that which is in an upset mood. His outfit consisted of a long-sleeved, black leather jacket in which the side of the cuffs that faced the backhand was as long as the hand itself while the side facing the palm was regular length. Within this jacket was a black vest with thin, red lining along the collar, sleeves, and hem. The last portions of his outfit were black pants and shoes.

"Hmph. He needs to watch his tone when talking about us." Zale said vindictively as he and Shine began walking out of the room. "Rest assured, Penny, whether they are weak or strong, anyone who comes in our way is good as gone." Shine stated seriously.

"Y-You better live up to that!" Penny shouted to the two as they continued walking away. Meanwhile, Penny's partner Uri watched the two pensively, _"There is just something about those two…Zatch better watch himself if he meets them. Shine and Zale are a team on a level of their own." _

* * *

><p>"Guys, I see some light dead ahead!"<p>

As they were running, Zatch pointed straight ahead so that the rest of his group could see the vague, outside light shining. Kiyo, Ponygon, Sunbeam, Izo, and Nylon—his accompaniment—looked ahead and saw it too. "That means we're getting closer! Let's go, guys!" Kiyo said.

With Zatch leading, Kiyo and his group went straight through the exit. They were indeed back outside; there were in a large, stone open-air connection to the next main section that would inevitably lead to the Stone of Moonlight they were so desperately trying to get to.

But the next thing they noticed was that they were not alone. Blocking the next entrance was a semi-large, brutish Ancient Mamodo were a blue-grey vest of armor and shin and arm guards. Next to him was his comparatively smaller bookkeeper, a redheaded male wearing a trench coat.

"This is where you stop." The Ancient Mamodo spoke powerfully, "So says Orion and his partner, Jade."

"More gatekeepers, huh?" Nylon scoffed as he looked at Zatch and Kiyo, "You two don't need to be wasting your time here. We need to get you closer to the Stone of Moonlight!"

"What? Are you sure about that?" Kiyo questioned. "Kiyo, remember what Curtis said before he had to separate?" Sunbeam said, looking at the intelligent keeper of the red book.

"'_Ey, it don't matter if one or ten of us make it to the Stone of Moonlight. Even if one of us gets there and destroys it, and the rest of us are okay, then, well, it's okay! Now, get to steppin'!" _

Those were the words of Curtis before he and Gretchen stayed behind to take on that troublesome Ancient Mamodo by the name of Jizuro some rooms back. He was right; as long as at least one team made it to the Stone of Moonlight and got rid of it and everyone else was fine, nothing else mattered.

"Ok!" Kiyo replied as he nodded, "Mr. Sunbeam, Ponygon, Izo, Nylon, clear the way for me and Zatch!"

"Leave it to us/Meru meru!" The four replied readily.

"None of you are leaving this place alive!" Orion roared and then looked at the human at his feet, "Jade! Time to begin!" Jade smirked as he took a bistre-colored spellbook, "But of course. Roggan!" Orion pointed his left-hand arm guard and it suddenly morphed into that of a cannon. The cannon then released a blast of energy at Zatch and the others.

"Shudoruk!"

"Shigeruk!"

An orange aura surrounded Ponygon as he gained silver armor on his back, feet, and forehead. A silver aura covered Nylon was a metallic sheen appear on his whole body and clothing. The Shudoruk-induced Ponygon used his enhanced to zip Sunbeam and Zatch out of harm's way while the Shigeruk-induced Nylon did the same with Izo and Kiyo.

"Hey, you got some pretty fast guys here, Orion." Jade said as he smirked. "Perfect," Orion replied, "I've always wanted to test how good my aim is on fast-moving targets. Again, Jade!"

"No you don't!" Kiyo said, still being carried by Nylon, and the red spellbook in his hand glowed brightly, "Zakeruga!" Zatch's eyes rolled to the back of his head as a concentrated beam of electricity was shot out of his mouth and straight toward Orion from his position of the field. "Roggan!" Jade recited the same spell in retaliation. This time, the right arm guard of Orion's turned into a cannon and fired an energy blast that collided with Zatch's Zakeruga.

"Heh. Do you mind firing that same attack?" Orion asked cockily, "It has excellent resistance against my spells."

"Sorry, but I'm afraid they're no longer your opponents!"

Orion and Jade turned around in shock to see Sunbeam, Ponygon, Izo, and Nylon at the exit with Kiyo and Zatch running down the hallway that followed. "Good luck, you four!" Zatch's hopeful words echoed to them.

"You're not getting away!" Orion shouted. The bistre spellbook in Jade's arms glowed as he spoke, "Rogganruno!" Orion's left arm guard morphed into a long, thin bazooka-like cannon. Then, it discharged a thin but concentrated beam of energy toward the four.

"Leave this to me." Nylon volunteered as he extended his arms. "Then we'll go around him. Shudoruk!" Sunbeam said as Ponygon once again assumed his armored transformation as carried his partner away. "Ave Shield!" Izo shouted as Nylon summoned a steel, medieval-style shield to block Orion's Rogganruno.

"Get his blindside, Ponygon!" Sunbeam commanded as he jumped off the horse Mamodo. "Meru me!" Ponygom neighed obediently as he then rammed himself into Orion's side with great force. "Ugh!" Orion exclaimed as he stopped using Rogganruno, "You're gonna pay for that!"

"Not a wise idea to take your eyes off me!" Nylon said as he jumped straight toward Orion's face. "What?" Orion shouted as his head turned back to face Nylon. "Shigeruk!" As Nylon's body was covered in a silver aura, he swung a powerful kick, striking Orion in the face and causing him to fall over.

"Groovy!" Sunbeam shouted elatedly. "Meru meru me!" Ponygon neighed in agreement as Shudoruk deactivated. Nylon landed on the ground next to Izo as Shigeruk deactivated, "Heh. Many thanks, you two."

Jade looked at his fallen partner and said, "Yo, Orion. You should take these guys a bit more seriously now." Orion got back to his feet as he replied, "I think you're right, Jade. Very well then!" Jade smirk as he then shouted, "Riogras Roggan!" Both of Orion's arm guards transformed into triple-barreled cannons after the spell was said.

"Here he comes!" Nylon alerted everyone as the cannons released powerful blasts of energy. "Let's see you try this on for size." Jade said as he interestedly watched Ponygon, Sunbeam, Izo, and Nylon scurry around while avoiding the blasts. "Hey, Nylon, it seems like to me the source of his powers is the armor on his arms," Izo stated to his Mamodo partner who was carrying him on his back. "That so? If that's the case, we must destroy them." Nylon replied.

"Mr. Sunbeam! Ponygon!" Izo shouted to the other two allies in the room, "Go for the cannons and the armor that made them!" Sunbeam nodded in response, "Okay, Ponygon, you heard the man! Time to rock 'n' and roll! Go Shudoruk!" The orange aura returned around Ponygon as red and yellow armor adorned the house Mamodo along with a red horn and chest-plate.

"Meru meru me!" Ponygon neighed as Sunbeam jumped on his back. Using the enhanced speed that he acquired from Go Shudoruk, Ponygon easily evaded the shots from Riogras Roggan directed to him. "Izo, summon my sword!" Nylon yelled as he too began making his way to Orion while dodging fire. "Sorudo Shigeru!" Whitish-silver light appeared in Nylon's right hand as he gripped it, and it solidified into the powerful sword known as Sorudo Shigeru.

"Ngh. You two really are fast!" Orion commented, suddenly finding it difficult to land hits on Ponygon and Nylon, more so the former for being the faster of the two. "You don't know the half of it!" Izo and Sunbeam—the latter jumping off his Mamodo at the last second—said in unison, smirking. Astoundingly, Ponygon and Nylon were already making their way to the cannons on each of his arm. "Careful, Orion!" Jade alerted.

"Too late!/Meru!" Nylon swung powerfully, a bright silver light left in the wake of his slash as he made contact on Orion's right-hand cannons. Ponygon slammed into the left-hand cannons as a fiery orange blur, driving his horn straight into it. Riogras Roggan dispelled as the arm that made shattered from the force of the two Mamodo. "There we go!" Izo shouted elatedly. "Now we've stripped him of his armaments!" Sunbeam added in.

"Don't underestimate me!" Orion vociferated, "Jade!" Jade then simply said, "Kurigas Roggan!" Then, the vest of armor sprouted same cannon openings along the lining of its side. Sunbeam's and Izo's eyes widened as they screamed in unison, "PONYGON! NYLON! WATCH OUT!"

Before either Mamodo got a chance to dodge, they were both hit by simultaneous energy blasts from Kurigas Roggan. Both Nylon and the Go Shudoruk-induced Ponygon fell and skidded across the ground. "Guys, are you okay?" Izo asked in concern. "Never been better." Nylon replied, his clothing slightly charred from the impact, and stood up confidently. "Meru me!" Ponygon stood up too, equally ready.

"So it looks like we'll have to take down that vest of armor as well." Izo pointed out. "No problem." Sunbeam said, "Follow our lead, Izo and Nylon." Izo and Nylon nodded in response. "Go, Ponygon!" Sunbeam commanded and the armored horse dashed speedily toward Orion.

"Same spell, Orion?" Jade asked. "No. Something different, Jade." Orion replied. "You got it. Hyrogas Roggan!" The shin guards on Orion's legs sprouted cannon barrels and start unleashing rapid shots of energy toward Ponygon. "The shin guards, too?" Izo exclaimed in disbelief. "Not a problem!" Sunbeam reassured and then yelled to his partner, "Ponygon, use your speed!"

"Meru Meru Me!" Ponygon neighed powerfully as he burst into a tremendous sprint. He was dodging all shots from the Hyrogas Roggan left and right, and with relative ease as well. "Hold still!" Orion roared in demand as he continued firing. With Ponygon continually dodging, it was safe to say he was not going to oblige. Eventually, Ponygon was in close proximity enough to make a great leap for the vest of armor on Orion.

Jade gritted his teeth, "No you don't! Kurigas Roggan!"

"No _you _don't!" Out of nowhere, Nylon made a beeline for the shin guards and slashed powerfully with Sorudo Shigeru. In one fell swoop, a line of silver energy that marked the arc of Nylon's swing shattered the shin guards.

"You were so concerned with Ponygon's speed that you forgot Nylon is pretty light on his feet, too!" Sunbeam said, grinning a little. "Now, get him, Ponygon!" Izo shouted victoriously.

"MERU ME!" With that, the Go Shudoruk-induced Ponygon rammed his mighty horn into the vest of armor. With a loud cry of agony, Orion toppled onto his back as the vest shattered, leaving his actual body exposed and devoid of extra protection.

"No more armor means no more cannons!" Izo announced elatedly as Nylon and Ponygon landed before them—their currents spells deactivated a second afterward. "You are better off yielding than continuing to fight," Nylon told Orion and Jade, "or else the finishing blow will be quite violent."

Orion gritted his teeth as he sat up indignantly. Jade just simply stared at them with an expressionless look on his face. "Seems like they don't plan on complying, boys," Sunbeam said as he pointed forward, "Then let's go for that book in one—…"

Everyone was silenced when they heard the sounds of one—no, two people making their way onto the battlefield. "Who's there?" Orion roared questioningly, whipping his head to the direction of the sounds.

The duo revealed themselves as they casually sauntered onto the battlefield. "Our names are Mystrael and Myriam. Pleased to meet you." They were the two mysterious women going around and watching others, gathering Intel they found useful.

"Are they more allies?" Sunbeam asked, leaning toward Izo, as Nylon and Ponygon looked on wonderingly. "I'm not sure what their intentions are at all. They're so calm and composed." Izo whispered back.

"Hey, are you two were here to fight with or against us?" Jade asked, looking at the two females. "I haven't seen all of my allies from one thousand years ago, so I can't be sure." Orion admitted. Mystrael exchanged glances from Orion and Jade to Izo, Nylon, Sunbeam, and Ponygon. She then pointed a slender forefinger at Orion when she locked eyes with him.

"Neither."

A lavender-grey glow came from behind Myriam, definitely from the spellbook she possessed, as she said, "Chanigras Maborose." A small grin appeared on Mystrael's face as her fingertip launched black and dark purple chain toward Orion. The Millennium Mamodo's body was instantly bound by the dark chains which all connected to a lock located where his heart would be.

Izo, Sunbeam, Nylon, and Ponygon could only just look with mixed expressions. Mystrael just said she and her partner were not on either side, so why was she unleashing a spell on their enemy? Meanwhile, Jade gave the two newcomers a look with an arched bow, "Well, well, what exactly are you two planning?"

"You don't mind if we borrow him, do we?" Myriam replied as she walked over to Jade, "I'm sure you're sick of watching your partner getting knocked around." Jade rolled his eyes as he looked at the motionless Orion. Myriam's statement was left without a response because Jade was wondering why Orion hadn't reacted accordingly to the situation yet.

Then, something strange happened. Orion finally spoke but…he was _laughing._ Jovially, at that. "I have NO idea in the slightest what they did! But I feel great! I'm like I'm on top of the world!" Orion hollered euphorically.

"…Uhhhh…" Izo and Nylon droned in confusion.

"…What?" Sunbeam said flatly as Ponygon shook his head rapidly in confusion.

"Chanigras Maborose is a special spell of mine," Mystrael spoke, finally putting an end to this confusion, "It's one of our "tests." Those black chains of mine bind the will of my target, forcing them to see if they can have enough strength to battle away from the euphoria it provides." Jade chuckled dryly, "Good luck with that on Orion's part. He won't be passing that test anytime. The weak-minded fool."

Now that they knew what they were doing with, the group of four heroes now had a right to feel utterly appalled. "That's not cool at all." Sunbeam said icily as Ponygon growled. "So now it seems the right thing to save Orion." Izo said determinedly as he opened the dark brown spellbook in his hands. "You're right, Izo. The Code of Chivalry would agree with you! Such methods offend knights like me!" Nylon said as he got into a battle stance.

"Come on, Jade! Let's crush them!" Orion said alacritously, apparently unaware of the bad situation he was caught in. Jade looked at Mystrael and asked, "I can use spells, right?" When he got a nod from her, Jade proceeded to recite, "Rogganruno."

Amazingly, the bazooka-like cannons reappeared on both of Orion's arms. "What? But we destroyed the armor!" Izo shouted in disbelief. Jade himself was quite surprised but did a good job not showing that. "Doesn't matter, Izo, concentrate on the matter at hand!" Sunbeam said as the orange spellbook in his hands glowed brightly.

"Shudoruk!"

"Sorudo Shigeru!"

Nylon regained his sword as Ponygon regained his armor. The armored horse proceeded to dash elegantly out of the way of the concentrated beam of energy. The chivalry-abiding swordsman, although cutting it closer, avoided the beam coming his way too.

"Jade! Another!" Orion demanded. "Roggan Fivuruk." Jade said, the bistre spellbook glowing more brightly this time. Multiple cannon barrels sprouted around Orion's fists, and they all connected into mechanical gauntlets. Orion then lifted his right hand and punched. This set off an energy shockwave much like one if one of his cannons fired at the ground.

"Ponygon, look out!" Sunbeam cried out, but even the speedy steed couldn't avoid the attack and was sent into a wall. "You're next!" Orion threatened, locking his eyes with Nylon as he raised his left hand and proceeded to throw a bunch. Nylon's red-violet eyes hardened uninvitingly, "Bring it on, tough guy!" Gripping Sorudo Shigeru double-handedly, Nylon swung at Orion's fist.

Nylon gritted his teeth as he struggled against the clash while Orion laughed boisterously. Within a matter of seconds, they broke their clash; Orion's first recoiled while Nylon skidded back a couple feet. "Not bad." Orion remarked as Nylon panted exhaustedly, "Too bad I can't say the same for your sword."

Confused, the silver-haired Mamodo looked at Sorudo Shigeru and saw that the part of the blade that clashed with Orion was scarred gruesomely. Its cutting edge was practically nonexistent now."Oh, perfect." Nylon huffed irritably. Around this time, Ponygon regrouped with the seventeen-year-old Mamodo.

"Well, Mr. Sunbeam, I don't think I need to say those chains are what we're targeting." Izo said. "Yeah, I figured that, but he won't let us get to them that easily." Sunbeam replied, eyeing warily those dark chains. "Nothing's ever easy, but that does mean it isn't simple." Izo said and then shouted to his partner, "Time for round two, Nylon!"

"Alright then!" Nylon replied as he sprinted for Orion. "Go, Ponygon!" Sunbeam yelled encouragingly. "Meru meru me!" Ponygon dashed rapidly for Orion, out-speeding Nylon in a matter of seconds. "Hmph. Jade?" Orion said grumbly. "I'm on it," Jade replied as the bistre spellbook glowed, "Riogras Roggan!"

Both of Orion's arm guards transformed into triple-barreled cannons. Nylon and Ponygon continued to go forward, dodging the proceeding energy blasts with their sights on the chains around Orion. "Hold still!" Orion barked as he kept firing, but the determined duo of Mamodo kept at it. They were eventually rewarded; they had finally gotten in close range to Orion. "What the-?"

"Come on, Ponygon! Do your best!" Sunbeam encouraged as the Shudoruk-induced Ponygon rammed into the dark chains binding the controlled Orio. "Back him up, Nylon!" Izo shouted as well; Nylon let loose a cry of effort as he slashed at the chains with Sorudo Shigeru.

As that happened, Mystrael's eyelids dropped with disinterest, "Honestly, Orio...You're not even trying anymore. I thought you said you liked that my gift."

"Gift?" Izo exclaimed outrageously, "You said it yourself; that spell of yours, Chanigras Maborose, binds the will of one captured!" Mystrael replied simply, "He doesn't know that. Besides, I'm doing this for a good purpose." Sunbeam cringed momentarily as Orio knocked both Ponygon and Nylon to the ground. He finally inquired, "And what, pray tell, might this purpose be?"

Myriam, for the first time since they made their appearance spoke, "One of the bookkeepers of an Ancient Mamodo in these ruins is my...younger brother. In a moment, I'll be leaving to watch them battle Kiyo Takamine and Zatch Bell."

"What/Meru?" Izo, Sunbeam, Ponygon, and Nylon cried out in incredulity.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Zatch, another room is just up ahead!" Kiyo informed, his eyes locked onto the entrance that would him further and further to the Stone of Moonlight. "Got it!" Zatch replied, and they two went through.<p>

They were greeted with a large spacious room of the same color and design as the majority of the rooms in the ruins. The arced openings on either of the walls provided ample light into the room. The next exit was on the wall faraway and parallel to the side of the room Zatch and Kiyo were at.

"So…you're our opponents, huh?"

Zatch and Kiyo gasped when they finally noticed their new opponents: Shine and Zale.


	7. Chapter 7: The DiamondHearted Mamodo

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru. Izo Uramori, Myriam, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, Shine, and Zale Schwazden.

**Chapter 7: The Diamond-Hearted Mamodo**

"So, you two are next, huh?" Kiyo said, locking eyes with the duo before them, as he opened up the red spellbook.

"If by "next," you mean "next to be defeated," you are sorely mistaken." Shine said as he crossed his arms, "You better drop that state of mind if you know what's good for you."

"But we will defeat you!" Zatch yelled, getting ready to fight the Millennium Mamodo and his partner before him, "We must get to Zofis! We must get to the Stone of Moonlight!" The red spellbook glowed as Kiyo starting inputting heart energy into it, "That's right! We'll take on whoever gets in the way, and we will win! Zakeruga!"

Zatch's golden-orange eyes rolled to the back of his heads as he unleashed a concentrated beam of electricity toward Shine and Zale. "Quite the characters, they are." Zale remarked tonelessly as he opened up the left side of his jacket. "We're not supposed to be concerned about that." Shine stated crisply as Zale removed a blizzard blue spellbook from the inside pocket located on that side of his jacket.

Shine uncrossed his arms and extended his right hand, palm facing, to the oncoming Zakeruga. The arm that held the blizzard blue spellbook by its spine lazily dropped the side. It gave off a small white glow as Zale said, "Diamzu." From Shine's hand a medium-size shard of diamond was shot for the Zakeruga. The two spells clashed momentarily before Zakeruga disappeared and Diamzu continued for Zatch and Kiyo.

"That shard of diamond broke through Zakeruga?" Zatch exclaimed in shock. Kiyo gritted his teeth, "No time to think about that, Zatch! Rashield!" Again, Zatch's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he summoned a rectangular yellow shield from the ground before him. Diamzu made contact with Rashield; the offensive spell and the defensive spell struggled for supremacy for a little bit before they both collapsed.

"That was awfully rude of you guys to attack without introducing yourselves." Zale said emotionlessly. Kiyo narrowed his eyes but nonetheless decided it was at least the polite thing to do now that their enemies brought it up, "My name is Kiyo Takamine, and my Mamodo is Zatch Bell."

Tucking some of his parted black bangs away, Zale responded, "And we are Zale Schwazden and Shine." Shine grinned, showing off his serrated teeth, as he added, "You would be wise to remember those names."

Kiyo decided to shrug off that last statement of Shine's._"It took both Zakeruga and Rashield to take care of that one spell…" _Kiyo thought pensively, _"And I have a bad feeling that that was just their most basic spell."_

"Hmph. Zale," Shine spoke, not taking his emerald green eyes off the blonde Mamodo or the intelligent middle school student, "It seems spells of our lowest tier in power are good enough." Zale nodded curtly, "I think so, but I'm going to wait until they strike before I cast a spell."

"Zatch," Kiyo spoke strategically, "We're going to take a more careful approach with these two. What I want you to do is get in closer range. We're gonna try and draw out more of their spells and see if we can nail them ourselves." Zatch nodded readily as he dashed for Shine.

"Take a seat, Zale. I'll make this quick." Shine commanded as he started walking forward. "Sure, whatever." Zale responded as he walked off to a large slab of rocky rubble and sat down, crossing his legs and placing the spellbook in his lap.

"Zaker!" Kiyo shouted. Zatch's eyes rolled to the back of his head and unleashed a powerful spray of lightning toward the sauntering Shine. "Diamonruk." Zale murmured, resting his chin on his interlaced fingers while his elbows touched the spellbook in his lap. Shine's whole right arm crystallized into a diamond cutlass. He then raised it up and swung vertically as it came in contact with Zaker. Due to this, Shine was surrounded on both sides by lightning, but was left unaffected because he had sliced through it.

"What?" Kiyo exclaimed, eyes widening, "He cut through Zaker?"

"Kiyo!" Zatch shouted, snapping the fourteen-year-old out of his shocked stupor. The infamous Lightning Blonde was positioned close to Shine after that transpired. "Alright, Zatch!" Kiyo grinned as he then recited the next spell, "Zakeruga!" Unperturbed and still sitting in the same position, Zale muttered the same spell, "Diamonruk."

Nothing but lightning surrounded Shine as Zatch unleashed powerful lightning around from his mouth. Kiyo grinned triumphantly, but when he noticed how untroubled Zale was, his grin faded. Zatch's golden-orange eyes returned but they widened when he saw what was before him.

"Your lightning does indeed have power behind it…" Shine was standing in the same position, but most of his body was covered in a layer of diamonds that crackled with residual electricity. "However, I'm still unconvinced of your strength, Zatch Bell." Before Zatch could do anything else, he was punched in the gut by one of those diamond-enhanced fists of Shine and went rolling back instantly.

"Zatch!" Kiyo exclaimed as he ran to go attend to his fallen partner. Around this time, the white glow disappear from the spellbook in-between Zale's elbows and his lap, and the layer of diamonds on Shine disappeared instantly. "Zatch, are you okay?" Kiyo asked, kneeling beside the blonde boy. Zatch wiped the blood off his mouth and stood right back up, "Yeah, Kiyo. I'm fine."

"Heh. What now?" Shine spoke raspingly and cockily to the two, "There isn't a single scratch on me yet."

"Kiyo, are we still sticking to the plan?" Zatch whispered to him. "Yeah," Kiyo responded, "It seems his power lies in crystallizing parts of his body, or discharging those crystals as shards."

"They're not crystals." Zale suddenly spoke, his toneless voice loud enough to be heard in the empty room. Kiyo and Zatch were put on full-alert again when the ebony-haired male said that. "They're diamonds." The blizzard blue spellbook's white glow was a bit more luminescent this time, reflecting off those red eyes of Zale as he drawled, "Ganzu Diamzu."

This time, Shine extended both of his hands and released multiple shards of diamond for Zatch and Kiyo. "Rashield!" Kiyo yelled as Zatch created another rectangular shield before them, "Needs to be a bit bigger. Rashield!" Because of Kiyo repeating the spell, the shield enlarged and allowed enough coverage to block all of the oncoming shards. "Alright. Let's see what happens now!" Kiyo said.

"I'm not waiting until then."

Kiyo's head quickly looked behind him to see Shine right there, and he was subsequently knocked away with a kick from the anthropomorphic porcupine. Zatch, sensing Kiyo in danger, lost his concentration and Ganzu Diamzu broke through Rashield in a matter of seconds. The shards of diamonds hit the floor, causing Zatch to fall over, as Shine quickly moved out of the way himself.

Kiyo grunted as he slowly got back up, picking up the red spellbook he dropped. Zatch managed to get back onto his feet as well. "Still getting up, eh?" Shine said, watching them carefully. "We told you," Zatch responded resolutely, "We'll defeat any opponent that comes our way until we defeat Zofis! Even you! I'll keep standing up and keep moving on!"

"Rauzaruk!" Out of nowhere, a rainbow-colored lightning bolt struck Zatch and bestowed upon him a rainbow-colored aura. Then, the blond boy darted straight for Shine. _"He got quicker from that spell." _Shine thought as he got ready, _"But it seems Zale doesn't think it's that big of a deal." _When Zatch got close enough, he started attempting to punch Shine; however, the porcupine either shifted left or right to avoid the punches.

"You call those punches?" Shine remarked coldly as he kept dodging, "A cockroach has more style than that!" To prove his point, Shine ducked underneath another one of Zatch's punches and then delivered a harsh kick to his gut. Kiyo gritted his teeth as Zatch went skidding back, "He can handle Rauzaruk without using a spell of his own? Just who is this guy?"

"That spell would have been a lot more useful if you had proper training," Shine commented as he crossed his arms, "You're better off without using it against me. Using it just makes it look plain weak." Zatch gritted his teeth as he defiantly rose back to his feet, "I'll show you!" Shine arched a curious brow as a feral grin etched across his face, "Oh really? Then I'm waiting."

"Rauzaruk!" Kiyo shouted and the same rainbow-colored lightning bolt struck Zatch again to amplify his speed and power. "Again? Hmph. You're rather persistent." Shine said as he prepared himself; Zatch was going headfirst toward him. "GOT YOU!" Shine shouted as he attempted to punch the Rauzaruk-induced Zatch when he got close enough. "Now, Zatch!" Kiyo alerted. On that signal, Zatch jumped over Shine as the latter punched the floor, cracking it.

"What?" Shine exclaimed and then thought, _"Shoot, I'm vulnerable!" _

"Now time to switch spells!" Kiyo stated as Rauzaruk deactivated, "Zakeruga!" Shine expected the spell to be directed toward him, but to his surprise, an impact never came. The white porcupine looked over his shoulder to see that the Zakeruga was aimed toward his partner, Zale. _"It's headed toward Zale!" _Shine mentally exclaimed as he sprinted for his partner.

Meanwhile, Zale continued to stay rooted in his position, glaring at the approaching Zakeruga. "What an insult. This tactic is especially for bookkeepers who are defenseless without his or her Mamodo around." Zale commented icily as the book in his lap glowed white, "But I guess it has its benefits. I'd be a fool to sit here and take it. Diamzu Shield."

Shine managed to outrun the Zakeruga and protectively get in front of his bookkeeper. Extending his glowing hands out, a dark blue, diamond hexagram materialized from them. The large shield blocked Zakeruga and canceled it out without any strain. "In addition to good attack spells, their defenses are no different…" Kiyo mused, "And to think…Shine told his bookkeeper to just use spells of the lowest tier in power."

As Diamzu Shield dispelled, Shine whipped around to glare at Zale, "Honestly, Zale…You can't just sit there; you're cutting it pretty close." Instead of verbally responding, Zale simply returned the look—bright crimson met emerald green in an identical tense glare. This odd but interesting optical exchange stopped when Shine said, "…Fine, Zale. You're right; I'll just take that as a compliment." The black-haired male nodded back, "Don't worry. I'll let you know if I see something out of my power."

Being analytical, Kiyo took full notice of this and couldn't help but think about it, _"Those two just glared at each other and reached a sort of agreement…Just who the heck are these two?"_

"Zatch Bell and Kiyo Takamine!" Shine shouted, now directing his attention to the heroic duo, "I'm slowly losing interest in both of you. You now have only so many chances to prove how strong you are." Zale finished this thought for him, "And if you do not…well, we'll dispose of you just how we do all the other weaklings we've faced."

Kiyo gritted his teeth outrageously. "Kiyo." Zatch said sternly, "If they want us to show our true power, then let's do it! We must defeat them!" The middle school student nodded in agreement, "That's right, Zatch. Nobody will stand in our way between Zofis!"

"You know the drill, Shine." Zale said, tonelessly still, as he placed his hands in his lap along with the spellbook. The two Mamodo then charged at each other to resume the rest of the fight.

* * *

><p>Nylon and Ponygon were knocked to the floor once again by the controlled Orion. The strain of the battle was taking a toll on them. Sorudo Shigeru and Go Shudoruk were proving to become useless against the guy. To make matters worse, they still have yet to break the dark chains.<p>

"This is bad…" Izo said forebodingly, finding no choice but to stop using heart energy to keep Sorudo Shigeru active. "If it wasn't for those blasted chains…" Sunbeam said, eyeing the spell that was named Chanigras Maborose.

Myriam, seeing enough, announced to Mystrael, "If that's all you need me for, Mystrael, I'll be leaving." The teenage Mamodo female looked at her red-eyed partner and smiled, "Of course, Myriam. Your brother is waiting for you." Nodding, the twenty two-year-old woman turned around and started walking again.

"LIGAR!"

Myriam stopped dead in her tracks as a crescent-shaped, black projectile whizzed by her and hit the wall some feet away. Everyone—including Mystrael and Jade—gasped in shock at the sudden occurrence. "That spell…" Izo mused, the name of the spell fresh in his mind. "Could it be?" Sunbeam conjectured.

"That is correct."

"Sorry, we didn't keep you guys waitin' too long, did we?"

Much to Izo, Sunbeam, Nylon, and Ponygon's relief and happiness, standing at the entrance to the battlefield was Curtis and Gretchen, alive and well. Though, their current appearances definitely showed that Jizuro and his bookkeeper put them through hell.

Gretchen continued to stand tall despite lines of blood running down her face and out of the corners of her mouth. Her clothing, specifically her jacket, were tattered and sliced. It was stark contrast to her scythe which remained pristine and deadly as ever. Curtis still had his trademark wide grin on his face, even as he leaned tiredly against the stone lining of the entrance and held his side. He too had blood down his face, and his clothing was rather disheveled. His free arm grasped that battleship grey spellbook, the only element of his person that was clean.

"Whoa, you guys look terrible." Nylon commented while smiling, grateful that help had come. "So do you, Nylon, Ponygon." Gretchen replied, smiling back.

The reunion was cut short when Orion cut in. "Heh. So, Jizuro couldn't take care of you guys? Well, looks like I'll have to take that honor!" Curtis and Gretchen quickly examined the conditions of the battle. "So we got a big guy wrapped in chain, and a small girl beside him. Has to be her doing." Gretchen inferred, resting her scythe on her shoulder. "Yeah, that's why I had you do Ligar to keep that girl's bookkeeper from walking away."

Mystrael cleared her throat irritably, "Ahem! A "girl" is not the proper classification for me." Gretchen rolled her celestial blue eyes as she responded sarcastically, "Oh, excuse me, ma'am."

"Enough talk, let the battle continue!" Orion demanded impatiently. "Rogganruno!" Jade recited. This time, Orion pointed the bazooka-like cannon where Gretchen and Curtis were. "Ponygon!" Sunbeam yelled. Using his lightning speed, the Go Shudoruk-induced Ponygon dashed straight over to the two and swooped them up right before Orion could fire.

Izo, Sunbeam, and Nylon exhaled in relief as Ponygon made his way to them. "Thank you, Ponygon." Gretchen said, getting off Ponygon after giving him a thankful pet. Curtis slowly got off too with the help of Izo. "Man…these Millennium Mamodo don't play." Curtis said, now using Izo as a support. "Looks like you took too many hits." Sunbeam remarked.

"Seems like you did too, Gretchen." Nylon pointed out, now noticing that Gretchen's ponytail was gone. "If you're referring to my hair, it was either that or my hand." Gretchen replied, running her fingers through the tresses of her now short, burnt umber hair, "Personally, I look better with short hair. I hate long hair."

"And Jizuro didn't like to play fair either. I had to take a couple hits…At least I'm still okay, but I'm havin' trouble standing." Curtis said as he gave his companions a reassuring grin, "But we took that bastard down because Gretchen here got a new spell in that battle."

"Well, now that there's three of us, things might go smoother." Sunbeam stated, now casting his gaze over to their opponents, "Orion is pretty tough now that Mystrael casted Chanigras Maborose on him. At the same time, we don't know what she and her bookkeeper are going to do now."

"If she's the problem, I'll take her down." Gretchen said boldly, "She looks like she needs to be roughed up a bit."

"Okay, we'll leave her to you, Gretchen." Nylon said and then looked at Izo seriously, "We'll have to up the ante if we want to win." Izo nodded back in response. "Alright, Ponygon, keep up the good work! It starts for real this time." Sunbeam encouraged. "Meru!" Ponygon responded readily.

Mystrael sighed disappointedly, "Myriam, if it's not too much trouble. Please stick around a little longer." Myriam grumbled under her breath before saying aloud, "Sure…"

"Izo, time to summon my guillotine!" Izo started flipping pages in the dark brown spellbook until he found the right page, "Ah, here it is! Garudo Shigeru!" Extending his arm outward, a large, black, double-headed battle axe with rounded blades—which had silver cutting edges and one was slightly higher than the other. "This should be enough for the likes of him. All who reflect upon his guillotine seen imminent justice!" Nylon said valiantly before charging for Orion. "Support him, Ponygon!" Sunbeam said, and Ponygon dashed expeditiously beside Nylon.

"The results will be the same. Jade?" Orion said. Jade nodded, "No problem, Orion. Kurigras Roggan!" Orion summoned cannon openings along the lining of his sides. They start unleashing blasts for the changing Ponygon and Nylon. Taking initiative, Ponygon swooped up Nylon onto his back and veered right to avoid all the shots and hopefully buy Gretchen time to close in on Mystrael.

"There you go, Ponygon!" Sunbeam cheered on, "That's how you do it!"

"Little horsey is faster than before…" Jade commented pensively. "It matters not. Give me another spell, please!"

It was this point that Mystrael finally noticed something: where was that girl that just accompanied these four? _"Wait a minute…" _Mystrael thought and then her white eyes widened, _"They're distracting—"_

"Garuligar!" Curtis shouted. Suddenly, from around Orion, a black spinning drill-like attack came full-speed for Mystrael and Myriam. "Myriam!" The black-haired Mamodo cried out as she grabbed her bookkeeper and barely jumped out of Garuligar's way.

"Damn. Missed." Gretchen said after stopping. It was then she noticed something on the floor and grinned widely, "Never mind. I nicked you." Mystrael blinked in confusion until Gretchen picked something up—a rather decent amount of black hair. Myriam's eyes widened slightly, and it was then she looked at her Mamodo partner's own hair—it was no longer hip-length but roughly halfway down her back. Mystrael's eyes twitched as she ran her hand/arm through her now shorter hair, some residual stands that were cut off falling to the ground.

Gretchen threw the pack of hair aside as she said, "Anyway. You will no longer be hindrance to my friends. I'm here to make sure you do nothing else." Mystrael gritted her teeth as she charged at Gretchen, and the two proceeded to duke it out via hand-to-hand combat.

"WHOO! CATFIGHT!" Curtis hollered lecherously. Izo sighed in annoyance while Sunbeam shook his head.

"Rogganruno!" As Orion summoned another bazooka-like cannon, Nylon suddenly jumped off and gripped the shaft of his large weapon. "Leave this to me." He said bravely as he got ready for the attack. Rogganruno was unleashed and sent that concentrated beam of energy for Nylon. At the right time, Nylon swung Garudo Shigeru, leaving behind a streak of silver, as it clashed with Rogganruno.

"HA! You really think you can stop that?" Orion laughed pityingly. "Even I have to admit, it's a farfetched goal." Jade added in.

A couple more seconds of clashing and Nylon finally completed his swing, sending that blast of energy straight to the sky and out of everyone's lives. "And not a scratch on it." Nylon boasted while smirking, the blades of Garudo Shigeru glinting pristinely and on cue.

"Why you—" Out of nowhere, Ponygon, still in his Go Shudoruk state, rammed his into Orion right where the lock that connected the chains were. The cannon-manipulating behemoth fell thunderously on his back from the impact. At this point, Sunbeam noticed the dark chains were gaining cracks because of Ponygon's attack. "So that's it!" Sunbeam exclaimed insightfully, "If we attack that lock a number of times, those chains will break eventually!"

Gretchen charged at Mystrael and swung her scythe horizontally. The black-haired Mamodo managed to duck underneath, shoot straight back up, and deliver a swift kick to Gretchen's gut that sent her skidding back a considerable distance.

She then turned to her bookkeeper, "Myriam, if you please. I didn't want to waste one of our tests on these people…but there is no choice. I need to get you to your brother." Myriam took a notable pause before nodding understandably, "As you wish, Mystrael…" The lavender-grey spellbook in her arms behind her back glowed brightly as then recited, "Ganjasu Maborose."

"Hold it!" Gretchen charged and Curtis was about to utter another spell until the ground everyone stood on suddenly turned black, as if a veil of darkness coated it. "What the?" Curtis exclaimed, instantly looking down at the floor. "What's going on?" Sunbeam mused, eyeing the floor suspiciously.

"_With two tests active, I need something to happen before Myriam gets drained of her heart energy." _Mystrael thought before speaking aloud, "Another one of my "tests." Chanigras Maborose tests one's willpower. Ganjasu Maborose tests one's strength."

"Oh please. We have plenty of strength." Gretchen retorted, feeling somewhat insulted. "Don't underestimate this shit, Gretchen!" Curtis yelled to her, "I've seen mess like this in video games, some just like it! That may sound crazy, but bear with me!" Gretchen decided to take heed to her bookkeeper's words but was still wondering what the nature of this spell was.

"Hey! What did you do?" Orion questioned, turning to face Mystrael, "This…won't affect me, will it?" He soon got his answer. That small moment of hesitation Orion showed, because he even the slightest bit scared, caused dark spikes to uproot from his part of the floor and stab him. Curtis, Izo, Sunbeam, Ponygon, Nylon, and Gretchen were utterly appalled to see this happen—Mystrael really wasn't on anyone's side.

"Ganjasu Maborose is relatively harmless," Myriam spoke as she began walking away with Mystrael, "That is…unless you show even the slightest bit of fear or apprehension in the face of it. That is why it's called the Test of Strength: to see how truly strong you are in the face of peril."

Gretchen gritted her teeth as she tried charging at Mystrael, "That's a rotten trick, you little—" A small spike came out of the floor and nicked Gretchen's on her leg, immediately leaving a tear in her pant leg. Shocked, Gretchen stopped dead in her tracks. "Farewell, lady and gentlemen. I have an endeavor I must get to." Myriam said as she and her Mamodo moved on to the next floor.

They had certainly left Curtis, Izo, Sunbeam, Ponygon, Nylon, and Gretchen one hell of a mess to clean up.

* * *

><p>For the umpteenth time, a Rauzaruk-empowered Zatch charged at Shine. This time, Shine pulled his head back to dodge a swing from Zatch. Then, his hand shot up and grabbed the blonde boy's face, subsequently slamming the boy to the ground.<p>

As Kiyo shouted out Zatch's name in concern, Zale covered his mouth and released a bored yawn, "Shine…this is boring." He said tonelessly. "You're telling me, Zale." Shine replied agreeing with his partner. Zatch tried to sit back up, but Shine stamped onto his sternum and slowly added pressure to it, "You hear that, Zatch Bell? My partner and I have lost interest in you…and that means, concerning us, we have denounced you as a spineless, sniveling weakling."

Defiantly, Zatch gripped Shine's ankle as he stated, "Ngh…I…told you, Shine! No matter what happens…I will keep going until I defeat Zofis…and save all those poor souls that have been manipulated by him! I will not people like you…get in my way!"

Shine sneered as he snatched his foot away from Zatch, grabbed him by his golden hair, and kicked him back over to Kiyo. "Zatch!" Kiyo ran over and caught Zatch in his arms. "I don't give a rat's ass about Zofis!" Shine said heatedly, shocking both Zatch and Kiyo, "He is the biggest, most spineless loser of them all. He was only good for getting me out of that accursed solitude. I was never on his side; Zale and I only acted like that."

"As per my suggestion," Zale added in, "Shine wanted to rebel, but I kindly reminded him he was better off committing suicide than taking on more seventy Mamodo that were actually loyal to Zofis."

As the anthropomorphic porcupine shot his black-haired bookkeeper a glare, Kiyo questioned, "Then…why? why are you here and now fighting us?"

Shine turned back to the two and grinned, showing off his sharp teeth, "Because I wanted to see how powerful this resistance to Zofis and other Mamodo from a thousand years ago was. I assume you two to be the leader of them all…quite frankly I'm disappointed." Shine then looked at Zale from over his shoulder and directed, "Zale, let's show them true power. Up the ante a little."

"Hmph. Don't expect me to cast a spell that's overkill, Shine," Zale responded as he leafed through pages of the blizzard blue spellbook, "This one…is perfect." With that said, a powerful white glow was emitted from the spellbook. Zatch and Kiyo could do nothing but watch warily for whatever this next spell was.

"Go Diamonruk."


	8. Chapter 8: The Struggle Continues

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru. Izo Uramori, Myriam, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, Shine, and Zale Schwazden.

**Chapter 8: The Struggle Continues**

"Go Diamonruk."

Shine grinned ferociously as the same white light covered his entire body. Then light gained a light bluish hue as a transformation began. "Zatch…" Kiyo said sternly as he eyed this scene with an equally stern look, "The real battle begins now. Don't get hurt." Zatch nodded, "Right."

The light finally died away to reveal the effects of Go Diamonruk. Shine's whole body had crystallized as a layer of light bluish diamonds turned into his something feral and ferocious. He was somewhat bigger in size, the diamonds adding a touch of girth to his lower legs and arms. Every single one of his quills were erect and sharp. Only the whites in his eyes are now visible, adding a touch of viciousness to him. And lastly, he did not exactly have hands anymore—rather, he had stiff but sharp, flat, and long claws extending from a mass of diamonds where his hands would be.

"Whoa, that's a dramatic transformation." Kiyo observed as he opened up the red spellbook, preparing for the worst. "No kidding, Kiyo…" Zatch mumbled pensively.

The Go Diamonruk-induced Shine took a menacing step forward, the added weight making it sound like a stomp rather than a step. "Now…here I go!" Shine instantly sprinted for Zatch; his transformative spell also gave him a boost in speed. "Zakeruga!" Kiyo cried out, pointing directly at the charging Shine. Zatch's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fired a concentrated beam of energy to him.

"Don't make me laugh!" Shine sneered and then jumped up to dodge the Zakeruga spell. "Zatch, come on!" Kiyo stated as he grabbed the blonde Mamodo by his blue mantle and dashed off to the side. Shine wound up missing his target, slamming a claw onto the floor and picking up rusty golden dust from the impact.

"So not only does he get a change in appearance," Kiyo mused in hushed tone; he and Zatch were positioned behind a slab of rocky rubble, "He gets a boost in speed and power, just like Rauzaruk." Zatch looked at Kiyo and asked in an equally quiet tone, "Then, Kiyo, how do we take him down—"

Suddenly, the sound of slashing was heard as the rubble was reduced to bits, revealing Shine to be on the other side. "You guys suck at whispering." He hissed, flexing those claws of his. "Zakeruga!" Kiyo exclaimed with such calm quickness that it shocked Shine. Taking this in stride, Zatch unleashed his Zakeruga spell again and nailed Shine square where he stood.

"Got him!" Kiyo cheered.

"Look again." Came Zale's toneless objection.

From the smoke, the Go Diamonruk-induced Shine came out and tackled Zatch, the two were jettisoned into the wall with Shine obviously being the aggressor. "Zatch!" Kiyo cried out in concern. Then came a cry of pain from Zatch as roughly thrown away from the wall and into a slab of rubble on another part of the battlefield.

"Get up, you sorry excuse for a Mamodo!" Shine hissed vehemently as he began approaching the struggling Zatch. "Come on, Zatch, you gotta get up!" Kiyo shouted encouragingly. Gritting his teeth, the blonde boy managed to rise back to his feet. "Great job!" The dark-haired male said before reciting, "Now Rauzaruk!"

A rainbow-colored lightning bolt struck Zatch as he charged for Shine. With a grunt of effort, the blonde boy threw a punch for Shine's forehead…only for pain to shoot through his arm. Shine snickered mercilessly, showing his serrated teeth again, as he stated, "I would say don't hurt yourself, but you already did." With that said, Shine delivered several successive slashes, causing bits of blue fabric and blood to hit the floor.

"No way!" Kiyo gasped. "It seems you forgot that I told you that you were dealing with _diamonds_." Zale said as he watched Zatch get kicked away brutally.

Zatch was finding it considerably harder and harder to get back up with each devastating blow made by the Go Diamonruk-enhanced Shine. It was almost like he was reliving those harsh defeats at the hands Bari and Brago when he first fought them. Right when Zatch was about to rise, Shine stomped his foot onto Zatch's back. "You say you want to defeat Zofis and shatter the Stone of Moonlight," Shine said as he added light pressure, "How can you do that if you can't even harm ME?" After that, Shine removed his foot only to kick Zatch again.

"Don't give up, Zatch!" Kiyo encouraged, "Don't let him get to you! We've been in these situations before!"

"Quit your groveling, human. It's incessant." Shine berated as he started approaching Zatch again. Suddenly, Zatch looked straight to the anthropomorphic porcupine, eye-to-eye, and Shine got his first glimpse of that raw fire in the boy's golden-orange eyes. The look that expressed utter determination and power that made all of his opponents think twice. "What the…?" Shine's eyes widened in shock.

"ZAKERUGA!"

Zatch stood on his feet and fired Zakeruga to the shocked Shine and was awarded with a direct hit. Zale raised an eyebrow as Shine was engulfed with electricity, _"How odd…Call me crazy, but I think every time Zatch is getting hit, his will to fight and power rises. Shine better be careful."_

The Zakeruga died down to reveal Shine still standing but in a defensive position as residual electricity crackled on his diamond-encompassed body, "Tch." He sneered as he glared at the panting blond, "I'm through playing around." He then charged at Zatch again, the next phase of the battle beginning, "Time to perish, small fry!"

* * *

><p>"Riogras Roggan!"<p>

Nylon, Ponygon, and Gretchen frantically scurried about, avoiding both attacks from Riogras Roggan and Ganjasu Maborose. The battle had grown increasingly difficult thanks to Mystrael and her two spells, but they knew they had to find a way to win. They certainly did not want to end up like poor, manipulated Orion.

Izo, Curtis, and Sunbeam had discovered that Ganjasu Maborose only affected Mamodo enemies and not humans thankfully, and there a two-second window before the spikes would come up, allowing them to be able to dodge if they had good reflexes. Before that, they found out that the lock on Orion controlled Chanigras Maborose.

"We need to end this now." Sunbeam said to his companions, the light orange book in his hand glowing brightly. "Yes, we do, but trying to do so is a big hassle." Izo replied, the dark brown spellbook glowing ecru. "Whatever we do, let's make it count," Curtis said, still using Izo as a support, "I only got enough heart energy for one spell, and I wanna used it for our new spell—seems like it would work here."

"WILL YOU STAND STILL!" Orion roared in irritation, "You know what, I've had enough of this! Jade, my strongest spell! It'll be enough to wipe these guys off the face of the earth!" Jade tensed up slightly as he cautiously asked, "Whoa, Orion. Isn't that overkill—" Orion shot a venomous glare at to his bookkeeper, "Don't patronize me, human!" Jade winced audibly; that was the first time Orion ever verbally lashed at him. He silently cursed those two women for ruining the great relationship they had, "Fine, fine…" Jade flipped a couple pages in the spellbook before stopping, a great bistre glow emanating from it, "Dioga Rogganruno!"

Cannon openings traced the lining of Orion's ribs, his arms and shins turned into three cannon barrels, and two large cannons appeared on his shoulders. "Dioga Rogganruno is meant to blow all of you away! Think you can stop it?" Orion yelled maniacally as each cannon began charging up energy.

Nylon, Gretchen, and Ponygon gasped in horror, but later cried out when some spikes pierced their body for showing apprehension. "Not good!" Sunbeam gritted his teeth, "Does any of us have a spell that's as powerful as it?"

"Nylon has the closest one…" Izo answered pensively, "But I have no clue if it's the strongest…"

"L-…Let's…find out, Izo!" Nylon drawled painstakingly, "I'd rather die trying to defeat an opponent than just sit here and get blown to dust. That would offend my pride as a knight, and it would certainly offend the rest of my friends!" Out of nowhere, the spikes piercing his body disappeared, for the apprehension he formerly displayed was replaced with determination.

"N-Nylon's got the right idea…" Gretchen murmured as she started straightening her body, "If we work together…we can beat these two spells! None of us are weak, we're tough as nails!" Although the spikes were going to disappear, Gretchen opted to completely straighten her body with all her strength, breaking them like glass. "MERU MERU ME!" Ponygon neighed determinedly, doing the same thing as Gretchen did.

Unbelievably, Ganjasu Maborose disappeared. The darkness covering the floor went away to reveal the actual floor. Nylon, Gretchen, and Ponygon had all passed Mystrael's Test of Strength. "It's gone!" Izo pointed out. "Yeeah! That's what's up!" Curtis hollered, rejoicing.

"Alright, here's the game-plan!" Sunbeam spoke firmly, "Nylon, you take of that spell! Gretchen, destroy the lock to Chanigras Maborose! Ponygon, you and I are going for the book!"

"RIGHT!/MERU!" The three Mamodo responded fierily and started performing their tasks.

"Switch spells, Izo!" Nylon yelled to his partner. "Gladly." Izo responded alacritously as Garudo Shigeru disappeared, "Satetsu Shigeru!" Nylon raised his arms up as small silver lights appeared around and near his body. "Prepare to die, all of you!" Orion roared as he unleashed a tremendous and highly powerful energy blast from his cannons. At this same time, Nylon unleashed these lights as a seemingly endless barrage of stainless steel blades.

The two spells collided and were at equilibrium for a second until Dioga Rogganruno slowly began gaining supremacy. "Don't you dare give up, Nylon!" Izo egged his partner one, "Show that guy the power of your pride as a knight!" Nylon grunted loudly and full of effort as he inputted all of his strength into Satetsu Shigeru, forcing Dioga Rogganruno back to an equilibrium point.

"Some of these cannons are in the way, and it would help Nylon out a lot." Gretchen said, already in position. She then shouted to her partner, "Yo, Curtis! You said you enough heart energy for it, right? Then do it!" Curtis grinned as the battleship grey spellbook in his hand glowed, "Ask you will receive! LIGARUK!"

Upon it being said, dark energy coated the blade of Gretchen's scythe; the cuffs and collar of her jacket also were laden with flowing dark energy. The now Ligaruk-induced Gretchen gripped the shaft of the scythe with both hands and swung, releasing a wave of dark energy that sliced clean off the two cannons on Orion's shoulders. This dramatically decreased the power of Dioga Rogganruno, and Satetsu Shigeru was now pushing it back as a result.

"Excellent!" Izo exclaimed elatedly, grinning. "Heh. That's Ligaruk for ya. Gretchen's speed, power, and effectiveness of her scythe get a good boost. You shoulda seen that smirk on her face when she got it and whupped Jizuro's ass." Curtis explained, proud to see her take care of business.

"And now for the lock." Gretchen said as she got underneath Orion and swung again. Almost instantly, the powerful dark slash disintegrated the lock and Chanigras Maborose disappeared. "Oh man! Orion!" Jade shouted in shock, now fearing for the worst since Mystrael's spells were both gone, "I'd better help him with a spell." He turned to flip pages in the book, only to find that it was not there, "What the?"

"Checkmate, my friend."

Jade turned to see Sunbeam holding Orion's bistre spellbook while on top of the Go Shudoruk-induced Ponygon. "It seems you forgot that Ponygon is the fastest member of our team here." Sunbeam said and then tossed it up, "Gretchen! Take it away!"

"With pleasure, Mr. Sunbeam!" Gretchen jumped onto a part of Orion's body and then jettisoned herself off, going straight for the book. At that time, Dioga Rogganruno was overpowered by Nylon's Satetsu Shigeru, and Orion was now bombarded by a silver plethora of blades.

"Ha!" Gretchen grunted as she swung her scythe and sliced the spellbook in half. "Groovy!" Sunbeam exclaimed, posing coolly. "Meru me!" Ponygon said, doing his best to imitate his bookkeeper.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Orion roared in defeat as he turned intangible and eventually disappeared, signaling his elimination from the Mamodo Fight. Now with his Mamodo gone, Jade decided it was best to escape before he would suffer further wrath from Orion's conquerors.

"That settles that." Nylon said victoriously as he stopped using Satetsu Shigeru. "Phew. You can say that again." Izo sighed in relief as he and Curtis closed their respective spellbooks. Ponygon, Sunbeam, Nylon, and Gretchen all regrouped with these two. Sunbeam closed his book as Ponygon reverted to his normal form, "Kiyo went on ahead. So, we need to hurry up and catch up to him!"

"And if let's hope we don't encounter Mystrael and her troublesome spells again." Nylon stated as everyone nodded. Then, they all went off in hopes of catching up to Kiyo and Zatch.

* * *

><p>The lavender-grey spellbook in Myriam's hands stopped glowing. Mystrael noticed, "So they passed and defeated Orion…Interesting; those three have King-material potential."<p>

"Hm." Was Myriam's indifferent response.

Mystrael closed her white eyes as she smiled enigmatically, "You're more concerned about him, aren't you?"

"You mean I haven't made that clear already?" Myriam replied sternly. Mystrael giggled a little before looking ahead, "There's the next entrance." The two mysterious women stopped the entrance itself and peeked in to see what was going. May it be luck or otherwise, the ladies were now spectating the battle of Kiyo and Zatch versus Zale and Shine.

"There's your brother…" Mystrael muttered, her voice less than that of a whisper. "Yes, at long last…" Myriam spoke in the same quiet. She was so grateful to have finally gotten a chance to catch up with her brother. But, she had to wait until he was finished with the battle before she could try to make amends to him.

"Zaker! Zaker! Zaker!" Kiyo shouted the spell three times, pointing at their moving target. Shine was currently curled into a buzzsaw-like ball and rolling around the walls and ceiling of the battlefield. The diamond-hard quills that gave his spinning state its sharpness left indentions in the paths he was taking. The Zaker spells that Zatch was currently shooting at him constantly continued to miss, causing rocky debris to fall where they hit.

Then, Shine jumped from the wall and diving to Zatch, claws to cause more damage. "Zakeruga!" Zatch fired another concentrated beam of electricity, but Shine curled back into his ball-like state and start slicing through Zakeruga, all the while getting closer to Zatch.

"You're finished, blondie!" Shine shouted after successfully lasting through the Zakeruga. He then drove his claws into Zatch's body, almost to the base."ZAAAATCH!" Kiyo screamed bloodcurdlingly. Impulsively, he began running for his partner.

"St-Stay over there, Kiyo!"

Kiyo stopped in his tracks as Zatch grabbed those heavy, diamond arms of the Go Diamonruk-enhanced Shine. "I will…I will…defeat Shine…Zofis…and the others…until I become a kind king." Zatch stated tiredly but resolutely, his blond locks shadowing his eyes.

"A kind ring?" Shine sniggered until bursting out laughing, "You're kidding me, right? How do you expect to become king in this state? You can't say you're going to become without anything to back up those words! Why do you think the weaklings are the first to go; the strong ones who do back up their words take them out! Guess what, Zatch Bell? That's what's about to happen to you! Once I'm done with you, I'm leaving this place and resuming my ambition to become king! You will never get the chance to become the king, I'm afraid!"

"I _will _become a kind king!" Zatch retorted, gritting his teeth harshly, "I promised Kolulu and every one of my friends and allies!" Shine frowned, "Hm. Then I guess it's true that the weak ones always stick together."

"Call us weak all you want, Shine…" Kiyo spoke emotionally, "But our so-called "weak" friends are what gave us our power. They are who keep us going!"

"Too bad they aren't here now!" Shine said, "Now time to end this." The anthropomorphic porcupine was about to rip his claws out brutally but somewhat they wouldn't budge. "What the?" Suddenly, like a bullet, Zatch's golden-orange eyes, full of raw fire, glared into Shine's eyeless sclera. Shine was absolutely surprised and even froze up. Because of that, he failed to notice that Zatch used his strength to pull his claws out of his body.

"I'm going to do it! I will become a kind king!" Zatch shouted fierily. "L-Let go, you bastard!" Shine roared but his arms wouldn't budge again because of the Lightning Blonde himself. "Take this, Shine! Zaker!" Kiyo shouted passionately.

When Shine was Zatch's eyes roll to the back of his head and lightning beginning to form in his mouth, he shouted to his black-haired bookkeeper, "Zale! Give me something to counter this!" Zale replied, looking at the Millennium Mamodo, "Sorry, you'll have to endure. You're better off in a state of Go Diamonruk than your regular form taking it."

Shine gritted his sharp teeth as he prepared for the worst. Zatch then released a powerful Zaker at the Mamodo from a thousand years ago. The yellow lightning completely enshrouded Shine for at most twenty seconds before dying down.

Although Shine continued to stand on his feet, he had suffered damage from the Zaker, even though his diamond armor was still pristine. He glared at the blonde boy who glaring back. "Shine, now it is time for you to approach more cautiously. Understand me?" Zale said firmly. Shine nodded, "Hmph; okay then." He then charged at Zatch again with his claws ready to go at it, "Then let's see if this will be any different!"

"IESHUN!"

An orbicular field of psychic energy suddenly appeared in between Zatch and Shine with the latter being the recipient. "WHAT THE HELL?" Shine screamed as he was blown into multiple slabs of rubble. "Who in the world…?" Zale muttered disapprovingly, eyes narrowing dangerously as he looked around.

"Whoa, what a technique!" Kiyo said in a shocked but impressed tone, "It knocked him right away!" Kiyo then heard someone step up beside him, along with a semi-bright, purple glow. Zatch at this time also noticed the cause of that attack was floating off the ground indefinitely. They smiled brightly when they found out the people were the telepathic duo—Angelica Tsukoro and E.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." They apologized sheepishly.


	9. Chapter 9: Bitterness

**Author Notes**

This chapter is centered pretty much on dialogue (then again, most of the _Zatch Bell _series's best fights had dialogue in them), but it brings out some character development from pretty much everyone involved. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru. Izo Uramori, Myriam Schwazden, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, Shine, and Zale Schwazden.

**Chapter 9: Bitterness**

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Angelica and E apologized sheepishly.

"Ang! You made it!" Kiyo exclaimed happily. Angelica rubbed the back of her head as she explained, "Yeah. We could've been here earlier but we got kinda lost in the jungle surrounding the ruins…and we attacked by a giant snake…only for E to eat it...and then getting up here was a chore too." Kiyo could only chuckle at the sheepish face Ang made when she explained. He also guessed that Angelica was close, if not did, to throwing up upon seeing E eat that snake.

"E! I'm so glad you're here!" Zatch said excitedly as he reached to hug the psychic Mamodo but tensed up with pain. "I see that, but don't hurt yourself." E said, placing a hand on the blonde boy's shoulder. "Okay. It's just…I had a hard time against our opponent." Zatch stated. "Well…hopefully I can lessen the difficulty." E replied, smiling under his wraps. Practically feeling the smile, Zatch's lips stretched into a wide smile himself before nodding.

Zale, in the meantime, was examining the two newcomers to the battlefield. Even though he was caught off-guard, a Go Diamonruk-enhanced Shine was knocked away a considerable distance with decent power. Something told him something interesting was about to happen. "And who art thou?" He asked the two newcomers. "Angelica Tsukoro." The dark-haired high school student introduced herself. "And her partner E. Pleased to meet you."

With a frustrated roar, Shine arose from his grave of rubble, alerting every single person present of his return. "Alright, now that was just a plain cheap shot—" Shine stopped his rant when he noticed the Mamodo hovering beside Zatch, "Y-You!" When E finally recognized the voice, he too was rendered incredulous. "…Long time no see…Shine." E said softly.

"Y-You know this guy, E?" Kiyo, Zatch, and Angelica questioned disbelievingly. When Shine looked at Zale, he knew the curious look in his eyes harbored the same type of question. He also knew E wasn't the kind of person to bring up old news—good, bad, or indifferent—so Shine took the liberty of answering everyone, "My former rival from a thousand years ago, that's all."

"Oh?" Zale looked intrigued now. He—for as long as he's known Shine—did not expect him to have a rival.

"R-Rival?" Kiyo repeated those words carefully and then thought, _"If E is Shine's rival, that's great on our part! Perhaps we can match this guy blow-for-blow now!"_

"A thousand years ago…?" Zatch looked confused, signaled by the childish tilt to his head. "We'll tell you about that later, Zatch." Angelica and E said in unison. "But, E, you never told me you had a rival." Angelica said to her psychic partner. E shook his head, trying to get rid of the memories of the painful beat-down he got from Shine in their last encounter, "I don't like to talk about it."

"Of course you wouldn't!" Shine growled spitefully, "I was ashamed to start a rivalry with such a loser like you! I defeated—no, _annihilated _you back then and burned your book! Now, seeing you were accepted to be in the current fight is an insult to me! In fact, it's an outrage that weaklings like you and Zatch are even in this damn fight! I'm sick of it! I've had it!"

Totally enraged, Shine charged for Zatch and E now. "Look out, Zatch!" Kiyo alerted as he opened the red spellbook, "Zaker!" Angelica opened the puce spellbook as she closed her eyes tight, knowing this was going to get messy, "Ieshun!"

"Shine, don't be reckless." Zale advised tonelessly. "I know that!" Shine responded. But based on the Millennium Mamodo charging straight into the orbicular psychic field and the spray of lightning, it didn't seem like he was listening to his bookkeeper.

"A direct hit from both attacks!" Kiyo exclaimed, smiling. Angelica took a deep breath, calming her nerves. She could feel the intensity of the fight; she instantly knew looking at the blows delivered and the carnage would evoke her trauma. Truth be told, seeing the wreckage as she and E made their way up here almost did.

"Not good enough!" Shine roared, having survived both attacks. Zatch and E gasped in shock and were then slashed by those sharps claws of Shine. Angelica did everything in her power not to open her eyes despite how concerned she was for E's safety—especially after his and Zatch's cries of pain and Kiyo's subsequent exclamation.

"You…have the nerves…" Shine rasped as he walked toward E dangerously, "to show your face around me! And you have even bigger nerve to attack me!" Zatch gritted his teeth as he charged at Shine, "I'm your opponent, too, Shine!" Kiyo then chanted, "Rauzaruk!"

"Don't make me laugh!" Shine sneered as he smacked Zatch away hard. Taking this opportunity, E placed his hand up to his head and mentally cried out, _"Angelica, now!" _

"Ieruga!" E then fired a thin beam of whitish energy from his eyes to the irate porcupine. At first, he managed to score a hit, but Shine only flinched on impact. Shine raised his arms to accept the attack after his body had and began walking toward E again. "You probably haven't the slightest clue of my hatred and anger!" Shine hissed.

"Probably not." E answered casually, trying to his best to keep up Ieruga and blast his former rival away. "One thousand years in petrified solitude…The knowledge of you knowing you were screwed out of your chance to become King of the Mamodo World…and the fact I had to pretend to serve a pansy like Zofis! There are so many things that happened in my life that boils my blood…."

Shine managed to cancel out Ieruga with his claws and arms, and he was now mere inches from E. "AND YOU'RE ONE OF THEM, E!"

A deafening stab echoed through the battlefield. Time seemed to come to a standstill as silence lingered on the battlefield. Zatch and Kiyo could see what happened clearly and were absolutely horrified. Angelica could no longer bear keeping her eyes closed; she had to know what in the world happened to her friends! Slowly, she opened her onyx eyes but they widened immediately at the gruesome sight before her.

Shine's claws driven straight through E's body, holding him up for the world to see like a trophy.

The cacophonous scream Angelica released afterward was more unexpected than that itself. Kiyo actually jumped from shock; Zatch had to cover his ears from the sound; Shine tore his attention from the suffering E to the screaming girl with a look that said 'what's this human's problem'; Mystrael and Myriam covered their agape mouths, shocked at absolutely everything that transpired; even Zale's expressionless face reacted accordingly to the situation.

Her trauma returning instantly, Angelica dropped her spellbook and dropped to her knees, holding her head as tears involuntarily inundated from her eyes. "A-Ang?" Kiyo instantly became worried as he went to the distraught girl's side, "What's the matter? Are you okay?"

"Hmph." Shine pulled out of his claws out of E—roughly might I add—and threw him aside with the other, "What a shame. Even your bookkeeper is weak." Zatch glared heatedly at the callous Millennium Mamodo, "Shine, you bastard!" The blonde boy then charged for Shine and tried to punch him, but Shine leaned back to avoid it and kicked Zatch to where E was now.

Zatch and E struggled to get back up. Their injuries had taken a toll on them. "Now…" Shine turned to look at Kiyo comforting the traumatized Angelica. He began walking to them as his claws glinted maliciously, "Hand over those books, humans." Kiyo glared at the Millennium Mamodo and so did Angelica, but the heavier inundation of her tears downplayed her glare.

"Hold it, Shine."

Shine stopped dead in his tracks and looked to see Zale joining his side. "Before you do that…" The black-haired male said, "Let me be as articulate as you have been." Now _this _was something Shine did not expect Zale to do. This must be some of kind revelation ceremony or something.

When Shine kept quiet, Zale took this as his time to speak, "Kiyo Takamine and Angelica Tsukoro, I do not understand either of you. In these hopeless circumstances, you continue to struggle." Zale looked at the glaring Kiyo and commented, "Kiyo…how can you say you and Zatch can defeat Zofis without the knowledge of strong opponents like me and Shine possibly lying in wake." The red-eyed teen then looked at the distraught and crying Angelica and remarked, "Angelica…you are obviously traumatized by something, and it can't be Shine; I saw you shutting your eyes in that brief encounter. Even with that in mind, you still came here."

"I believe the answer is simple, Zale." Kiyo spoke firmly, "There are innocent friends, allies, and possibly family members involved in this, all because of Zofis and his manipulation!" When Kiyo mentioned "family members," Myriam forlornly looked to the ground, and Mystrael took notice of that. "We came here to free them!" Kiyo continued, "And get rid of Zofis and the Stone of Moonlight once and for all!"

Zale seemed somewhat convinced at Kiyo's answer. His eyes then lingered to Angelica as he asked dryly, "And you?" Angelica took calming, deep breaths. Since her emotional trauma activated, talking—with some sobs in-between—was the best she could do; telepathy, gathering heart energy, and reading spells were out of her power. "…I'm traumatized because my parents were alcoholics in the past and they hit me on some occasions. These battles remind me of it."

This really was a revelation ceremony; Shine's initial thoughts were confirmed. "What?" Kiyo looked at Angelica wide eyes. The dark-haired girl closed her eyes and bit her lip, the flashbacks becoming more and more devastating.

Zale closed his eyes and turned his back to them, "I pity you guys…You two and your Mamodo partners. Get out of here while you still can." Shine shot a look at his partner, "But, Zale!"

"In your current condition, you cannot defeat the likes of Shine and I," Zale continued expressing his pity, "Not only will we not let you advance further, we will attack if you continue this hopeless charade."

Kiyo gritted his teeth outrageously and stood up, "Where do you get off? Who are you to tell us how strong we are? We don't need your pity, Zale! Don't you understand the severity of Zofis's actions? You're lucky enough to keep your heart! My friends and I don't care what any of you guys say! We will keep going to Zofis! We will change the tide of this battle!"

Completely out of the blue, Zale snapped his head back to their direction, "Don't be _ridiculous_!" His sharp red eyes, for the first time since they met him, showed absolute aggravation and hatred. This seemed to project a malicious and deadly purple aura around Zale as he glared at Kiyo and Angelica. Angelica swore she died a little inside under Zale's glare, and Kiyo instantly lost his train of thoughts seeing Zale seethe with anger.

"What has been set in stone and destined by fate cannot be altered!" Zale stated as he turned back around, his intimidating glare very much alive, "That which the past has caused can _never _be changed. Everything that makes you what you are now _never _changes. Kiyo, Angelica, E, Zatch, your pasts will continue to haunt your future. Your shortcomings are an example of this. If you cannot accept this, not only will this infuriate me more but you will continue to be a prisoner of your own illusions!"

Myriam gripped her lavender-grey spellbook tighter and tighter as Zale gave his explanation of his dislike to "change." She knew the exact reason why her younger brother felt this way because she was involved in the very event that changed Zale. She was honestly suppressing the urge to go out there and assist the two teenagers. Mystrael noticed her partner's condition and placed her hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"You sound…like you've had experience." Kiyo pointed out.

Zale nodded, "Oh, believe me, I have. Once upon a time, in my home country of Sweden, I had two parents and a sister, one that I loved dearly. I looked up to her and everything. Because of my pursuit in the career of architectural engineering, I was constantly relocated to every part of Sweden for observation and studying reasons. But my parents would also allow me to visit her…Then, about three years ago, in our hometown, there was a raid from a group of robbers. They went about demanding money and valuables and assaulted people without hesitation if there was no cooperation. My sister was taking me out when this happened when we were approached by two of them. But the next thing I knew, she was gone for some reason! I was left alone with two heartless creeps before me, threatening to take my life if I did not hand over anything. That moment of weakness, of fear, of feeling like the most insignificant creature on the planet damns me today! All because that stupid sister of mine left me without a trace! Thankfully, I managed to fend them off myself because my weak feelings were replaced with bitterness. When it was over, I couldn't look at my sister anymore, or my parents for that matter since they were with her when we reunited…Can you imagine how glad I felt when I received word I was going to sent to Luxembourg to a technical boarding school just for my career? Ha, a chance to get away from that accursed place and her."

"Now, you see why Zale disagrees with your beliefs." Shine spoke for the first time since his bookkeeper started talking, "Change is what made him today; it gave him a heavy dose of reality after experiencing a feeling none of us want to feel. Kiyo, Zatch, weaklings like you will never become king, no matter how allies you get! Angelica, E, you guys will be forever traumatized and hampered!"

"What you should do is embrace what you have become and what you have instead of that which you don't have or want to become, especially if it's irrational," Zale said sternly, his emotions making the blizzard blue spellbook glow brighter, "Shine and I _never _want that feeling of weakness we've had in our lives…and seeing and hearing people like you four disgusts us." Zale gripped the spellbook tightly as Shine gritted his sharp teeth hard. They were both getting mental images of themselves, defenseless, meaningless, and sobbing—something they _hated_ with their very hearts.

"Weakness is _EVIL_!" Zale and Shine declared, their bitterness manifesting as auras of respective dark purple and dark red colors around their bodies. _"O-Oh, man!" _Kiyo was practically frozen in his spot. Such powerfully dark emotions those two had. Angelica was crying even harder. She was a wreck, indeed. Her trauma had worsened because of Zale and Shine's words.

Myriam was also moved to tears. Zale's bitterness had escalated to this point, only after three years. What saddened her the most was that Zale did not know the complete story. Mystrael also wanted to cry for her bookkeeper, hearing her side and Zale's side of the story was pretty heart-wrenching.

"You've got it all wrong, Zale!"

Everyone turned to see Zatch and E rising back to their feet determinedly. Zatch continued, "You're completely wrong! No one truly changes; the way people look at each other does! And Shine, everyone has a moment of weakness! It is not evil, it makes us better! Why do you think after all the physical pressure you've put me under, I'm still standing? I was weak, that much I'll admit, but I've told you: my friends and allies give me strength! Seeing the sad faces on the kind people I've met that have fallen in battle…I promised them that I will become a kind king!"

Seeing his blonde partner with the will to argue against Zale's and Shine's viewpoints, Kiyo added in, "Zatch is right, Zale and Shine! Take me for example. Before Zatch came into my life, I wouldn't nothing to do with anyone; friends, school, nothing! But Zatch changed all that; before I knew it, I had all my friends back and we grew strong together! Someone like you, who doesn't even want to make amends with his own sister, will never understand true love and companionship!"

E and Angelica could only stare at Zatch and Kiyo in awe and reverently. These two were certainly powerful with words. They could feel their rising will to fight, the raw fire in their eyes, and strength from within as they stood in opposition to Zale Schwazden and Shine.

It was at this point Angelica realized she stopped crying, but her trauma very much was still annoying her to no ends. Why were they still there? Why couldn't they leave her alone? She wanted to help E beat her former rival who continued to look down upon him and his friends. She didn't want to be a burden to E anymore simply because of her own shortcomings. Hell, she didn't want to look so weak in front of inspirational people like Kiyo and Zatch.

"Angelica, E, you two just sit tight." Kiyo suggested, opening up that brightly glowing red spellbook of theirs, "We'll finish this in an instant." Zatch nodded confidently, "That's right!"

Shine grabbed Zale and jumped back a fair distance before letting him go, putting him at a fairly safe distance from harm. "Then let's see, Zatch Bell and Kiyo Takamine…" Shine said as he charged forward, "Whose ideals are stronger! Zale and I's belief that weakness is evil and nothing can change, or your philosophies about friendship!"

"GIGANO IESHUN!"

Out of nowhere, giant dome of psychic energy appeared. It was large enough that it covered the distance Shine made between him and Zatch. "WHAT THE—" Because he was charging, Shine slammed straight into the powerful psychic field and was knocked back straight into the wall with great force.

"WHOA!" Zatch exclaimed as he jumped back, almost caught in the attack himself. He then felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see it was E. "Sorry to leave you hanging, Zatch…You speak such powerful words. Truer words have never been spoken." He said sagaciously, and it almost moved Zatch to tears.

"Kiyo." Kiyo looked to see Angelica had stood back up. The puce spellbook in her hand was glowing as radiantly as the red spellbook. Angelica paused to wipe her eyes. They no longer had fear or horror in them. In fact, there was a new sort of powerful feeling that gave her ability to recite such a powerful spell, "Shall we fight together? At _full _strength?"

Let the real fun begin.


	10. Chapter 10: Rivalry Renewed

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru. Izo Uramori, Myriam Schwazden, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, Shine, and Zale Schwazden.

**Chapter 10: Rivalry Renewed**

"Shall we fight together? At _full _strength?"

Kiyo smirked as he looked on ahead, "Seems like you got over your dilemma there." Angelica nodded as she too looked ahead, "You and Zatch inspired me. My trauma has hampered E for far too long, and I couldn't let jerks like Zale and Shine prove us wrong. Ugh, I feel like an idiot for letting something so…_trivial _happen to me."

"Zatch…thank you." E said graciously, almost to tears himself, "You and Kiyo gave Angelica the will to overcome her trauma. For the first time ever since becoming her opponent, I can fight without worry!" Zatch was already crying as he nodded repeatedly, "N-No problem! It's what friends do!"

Shine peeled himself off of the wall painstakingly and landed on the ground. That last blast actually hurt a lot. But before he could take a step forward, he heard something crack and then something shatter. Shine froze up as he looked at his left claw. Astoundingly, the diamond armor around it had broken, and in its place was his blood-drenched normal arm. There was also a crack in his armor above his left, and it started leaking blood.

"_Just our luck…the diamond armor Shine gains in Go Diamonruk has gotten weak enough to the point it can crack. Every time there's a crack in that armor, that signals an injury to his actual body." _Zale thought.

Shine could not believe this! His former weakling of a rival actually did that to him and one of his most effective spells. He couldn't do something like that a millennium ago! What made today so different? "AHHH! WHY YOU!" Shine roared in aggravation as he charged again, eyes set on E. Zale opened his mouth to say something but closed it as he thought, _"Well, we all have to experience a painful life lesson sometime in our lives."_

"Zakeruga!" Kiyo shouted. Shine was so concerned with E that he forgot that Zatch was his opponent too. The Lightning Blonde unleashed a beam of electricity for Shine that caused him to wail in pain as he was sent skidding back to his bookkeeper.

"Why...this can't be!" Shine huffed as he shot back to his feet. "Shine, don't you think it's about time we do things differently?" Zale proposed, walking up to his Mamodo partner. "But!" Shine wanted to object, but his emerald eyes caught Zale's crimson glare again. He stayed quiet, and his facial expression even reverted back to the austere one he had before the battle begun. "…Okay, got it. I'll leave the level of spells to you then. Let's go." Shine said as he faced his opponents again with dignity.

"They did it again…" Kiyo muttered under his breath.

"_That's just their way of communicating, Kiyo, as it seems." _

Kiyo looked around confused after hearing the foreign voice in his mind. _"Kiyo, it's me, Ang. I'm using telepathy to communicate with you. It's much easier this way." _Kiyo looked at the dark-haired girl beside, _"Telepathy? Whoa. That's something else, Ang."_

Zale finally stopped putting heart energy into the Go Diamonruk spell, and Shine reverted back to his original form—the two injuries he got were sustained however. "Kiyo Takamine, Zatch Bell, Angelica Tsukoro, and E. We have acknowledged your strength, and we are going to fight you seriously now." Zale announced, "However, that isn't necessarily a good thing, and you'll see why soon."

Shine extended his uninjured arm out as Zale recited, "Diamzuga." Shine's arm crystallized into a diamond cannon, and it then fired a powerful, white aurora beam. "He's finally bringing out more spells! Careful, you two!" Kiyo advised the two Mamodo as they dodged the beam, all the while telling Angelica their game-plan telepathically.

Zale took a fistful of Shine's quills and lifted him up, "Diamzuga." After chanting the spell, Zale began to move Shine around quickly but erratically. As a result, the aurora beams were discharged at different directions virtually at the same time. "Heads up, Zatch!" Kiyo alarmed as Zatch began dodging frantically to avoid the blasts. Angelica casted Aruk spells in her mind and E constantly teleported to avoid being hit.

In the midst of this confusion, Zale noticed Zatch was inching closer to a big piece of rubble and got an idea. Quickly, he made Shine aim his diamond cannon toward that piece of rock, and he fired the Diamzuga beam. It connected and multiple pieces of rubble obstructed Zatch's movements. "Zatch!" E exclaimed and began floating to help out his friend.

Zale put Shine down as he said, "Now, let's attack him with a wide-ranged spell. Can you life your injured arm, Shine?" Shine nodded, "Sure I can." The black-haired male then recited, "Raja Diamzuga." Shine lifted up his injured arm, like he said he could, and clapped both his hands together. Both arms crystallized into a larger diamond cannon and fired a much larger aurora beam.

"Whoa, it's bigger than before!" Kiyo commented. "Leave it to us." Angelica said before reading her next spells, "Aruk! Teoieshun!" E teleported in front of Zatch and allowed another Ieshun field to surround him. This time, E shot it out in the form laser-like beams. Raja Diamzuga and Teoieshun clashed and cancelled each other out in a resultant explosion.

"_Oh man. Now I see why Ang and E were so scared of battling. They have so much power under their belts as well…" _Kiyo thought as the explosion died away. Shine was having similar thoughts. How the heck did someone like E gain so much power? When they fought one thousand years, he was only familiar with Ieshun, Aruk, and Ieruga. Even now, they increased dramatically in usefulness and power.

"KIYO!" Zatch shouted to his partner. While everyone was occupied with the Raja Diamzuga-Teoieshun clash, Zatch had successfully gotten up close and personal to Shine. "What?" Zale and Shine exclaimed at the same time. "Back away, Zale!" Shine shouted before elbowing his partner away.

"Zaker!" Kiyo recited the spell. Zatch gripped a fistful of Shine's white fur and unleashed a powerful spray of lightning that engulfed Shine instantly. Zale, outside the attack radius of Zaker thanks to Shine, gritted his teeth as he watched his partner endure the hit.

Zatch finished unleashing his Zaker spell. It certainly added to the damages Shine had received previously. Blood spots tarnished his white fur, predominantly around his head and shoulders. "Get back!" Shine yelled as he aggressively kicked Zatch in his gut. Dauntless, Zatch grabbed onto the anthropomorphic porcupine's leg. "L-Let me go!" Shine demanded, shaking his leg repeatedly.

"Sora Iera!" E appeared behind Shine and sliced him on his back with a whitish energy blade. Some of Shine's quills, along with blood, splattered on the ground after the attack. Zale narrowed his eyes, no longer accepting these two scoring hits on Shine, "Ganjasu Orudiamzu."

Suddenly, a large crown of diamond spikes surrounded Shine, causing E and Zatch to be propelled away—but not before sustaining damage from the spikes. Then, diamond stalagmites began repeatedly erecting from the ground starting from the crown. "Zatch, E, move it!" Kiyo advised the two. Zatch began running away from the stalagmites while E floated away. Two separates rows of rising diamond stalagmites followed a target each, homing in on their path and everything.

"Aw, great, how do we deal with something homes in on both Zatch and E?" Angelica asked, her mind racing to find a solution. "I'm working on it," Kiyo responded, thinking of a solution himself, "I just didn't expect Shine to have great crowd-control spells, too. He's got practically everything—offense, defense, coverage, assist, and long-range!"

Kiyo watched Ganjasu Orudiamzu do its work and the two Mamodo avoid the stalagmites threatening to impale them from underground. Shine was currently encased in a crown of diamonds to protect him, and Zale was left unguarded but Kiyo didn't know if Shine, Zale, or both of them could reroute the paths of the stalagmites.

Suddenly, the dark-haired male got a flash of insight, _"That's it!" _"Zatch! E! Make those spikes run into each other! Start heading each other's way!" Zatch and E nodded in response and made sharp u-turns, now heading toward each other. The diamond stalagmites followed them as if they were magnetized to the two.

"_Wait for it…Wait for it…" _Angelica and Kiyo thought simultaneously, waiting for the right moment. Zatch and E headed at each other at full speed, almost appearing as if they were on crash course for each other.

"NOW, ANG!" Kiyo shouted.

"ARUK!" Angelica recited.

At the right moment, E teleported both himself and Zatch, and their pursuing rows of stalagmites collided into each other. All of the diamond stalagmites in the field and the crown surrounding Shine disappeared instantly. Zatch and E reappeared on the battlefield, smiling at their success.

"Zale…" Shine paused to pant, "…how much heart energy do you think you have left?" Zale answered, "I used too much for Go Diamonruk; I knew it was a mistake. But I have just enough for two coverage spells and then our strongest spell."

"Another coverage spell then." Shine requested as he jumped toward Zale. "Alright. Then, we'll go from there." Zale said as he extended out his free arm as Shine landed on it. "Ha!" Zale grunted as threw his arm up as Shine jumped, the extra boost sending Shine almost to the ceiling on the spacious room.

"Ariza Diamzen." Shine extended his hands out in front of him and released a white, blue, and red aurora that covered a good portion of the ceiling. Then, heavy diamond stalactites began falling from the aurora and to the ground.

"Shoot! He's got stuff for the air, too?" Kiyo shouted in disbelief. "Zatch, get close to E!" Angelica yelled to the blonde boy as she accumulated heart energy, the puce spellbook giving off its usual purple glow. "Ok!" Zatch replied as he positioned himself closer to the psychic Mamodo. "Gigano Ieshun!"

E created a large, dark purple dome on the field, with him and Zatch in the middle of it, with a pink outline. This giant psychic field guarded against the majority of the falling stalactites, but Ariza Diamzen was more powerful than Ganjasu Orudiamzu and elicited a struggle for supremacy between their casters.

"Kiyo, do something. I don't think Gigano Ieshun can last any longer against their spell!" Angelica pleaded, "Plus, I don't want to have to waste too much heart energy!"

"Working on it." Kiyo responded as his eyes examined every portion of the scene before them. An aurora in the ceiling was causing powerful diamond stalactites to fall, and the only protection from it was E's Gigano Ieshun. Getting out of its range introduced the risk of being crushed to death. So, Kiyo knew he couldn't send Zatch straight for Zale and nab the spellbook. So there only option was…

"Zatch! Look up! Look at the aurora!" Kiyo instructed, pointing directly at it. When the blonde Mamodo did that, the fourteen-year-old shouted, "Zakeruga!" Zatch's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fired another concentrated beam of electricity. The Zakeruga reached all the way to the aurora and disappeared within it.

Whatever Kiyo was planning, it was doing the trick. The reaction was occurring within the aurora until it diffused into nothingness. "Alright! It worked!" Kiyo exclaimed, smiling. "Great job, Kiyo!" Angelica remarked in an impressed tone.

"I don't believe this," Shine said under his breath as he began falling from the air, "They're countering each of my spells…How can I turn this around?" E noticed Shine was beginning his descent and that he still had Gigano Ieshun up. "Don't let your guard down!" E moved so that the psychic field around him did as well and slammed Shine with it. The intense pressure created a dusty implosion that engulfed as E backed away as the spell went away.

"That _had _to hurt." Kiyo snickered. "Nice one, E!" Zatch cheered as the psychic Mamodo joined his side. "All in a day's work." E remarked but his green eyes were more focused on the dust that surrounded his former rival.

Shine was lying on the ruined floor after sustaining damage from Gigano Ieshun. He was a wreck and wondering how did he get reduced to this state. Shine managed to sit back up when he heard someone say: "It's odd." The Millennium Mamodo looked to see it was no other than E before him. "What is?" Shine inquired with an unfriendly snap. "One thousand years ago, it was the other way around; me on the floor, injured and bloodied, and you standing up superiorly."

Shine felt one of his synapses pop. That was the sort of talk a winner would give a weak loser. He was definitely not weak! "Shine, do you believe in miracles?" E asked. "What about them?" Shine responded austerely. "You should—you're basking in the glory of one. It doesn't matter if you're weak or strong at the start, it's the end of it all that matters. You have to put yourselves in the right situation and surpass all expectations. And you can't forget there are people with you, guiding you as you go. In the end, you become strong after all."

"…Hm!" Shine placed his palms and soles of his shoes onto the ground and jumped back, landing beside Zale. "Well, that I think I'll admit to. One can grow stronger in the right situations," Shine extended both of his hands as he continued, "Which is why I want to skip to where I show you my real power—my strongest spell! Do you mind, Zale?"

"Not at all. After all, I want to see whose ideals are better." Zale answered as he began accumulating heart energy, manifesting as an extremely bright white glow emanating from the blizzard blue spellbook. "Zatch, get ready. We have to hit them with our best spell." Kiyo said as he began gathering enough heart energy that would activate the spell. The thing that worried him the most was that Zale actually _opened _his spellbook for the first time. It gave him a sort of idea of just how powerful Shine's most powerful spell would be.

"Ang, do you and E know what your most powerful spell is?" Kiyo asked, not taking his eyes off either Shine or Zale. Angelica looked at the floor and answered softly, "I have an idea of what it may be…but, I've never actually used it. I'm not aware of its effects or anything like that."

"Now may be the best time to figure that out." Kiyo suggested, "However, let me and Zatch go first. You and E follow up." Angelica nodded, "Alright." She then contacted E telepathically, _"E, did you get that?" _

"_Loud and clear." _E responded telepathically as he inched himself behind the Lightning Blonde. "Time to see if you guys possess actual strength to back up your words!" Shine declared, grinning ferociously as his emerald eyes glinted.

"Dioga Diamzu!" Zale recited, pointing forward for dramatic effect. Both of Shine's hands were enveloped in whitish-blue light. The light intensified immensely, its luster rivaling that of every single kind of gemstone in the finest of mines. From this light, a glorious, blue, diamond Griffon came out. The powerful, beautiful but deadly creature released a battle cry as it gave its flight toward its targets.

"Bao Zakeruga!" Kiyo read the fourth spell with much passion and fervor. Zatch's eyes rolled to the back of his eyes as his mouth unleashed the legendary electric dragon that was named Bao. Bao released a thunderous roar of power, baring its enormous yellow fangs as charged at its opposition.

Dioga Diamzu and Bao Zakeruga clashed and a struggle for supremacy instantly came forth. The both spells were virtually identical in power; the decider in the winner of this struggle depended on which spell had more endurance.

Some seconds after the clash began, that decider began showing—Bao Zakeruga was starting to be pushed back by Dioga Diamzu. "Come on, fourth spell!" Kiyo yelled, the red spellbook shining radiantly, "You can do it!"

Angelica pensively watched the clash between the lightning dragon and the diamond Griffin. She knew she was supposed to follow up with her spell, but she wasn't sure if it would produce the desired effects—after all, she didn't know how it worked.

"_You're not having doubts, are you? That's not why we're here, Ang. We're here to win." _E spoke to his bookkeeper telepathically. Angelica nodded lightly, but gasped inaudibly when she realized something: E had actually called her by her nickname for the first in their partnership! Tears of joy built up in her eyes but were left unshed as she quickly flipped pages in the puce spellbook until she found what she wanted—the spell gained during that battle against Dr. Riddles and Kido.

Angelica took a deep breath before she inserted all of her heart energy into the spellbook, manifesting as a powerful purple glow that rivaled the glow from the red and blizzard blue spellbooks in the vicinity. Kiyo looked at Angelica out of the corner of his eyes hopefully, _"Go for it." _

"_With this…I put the past behind me." _Angelica declared in her mind, her onyx eyes showing off that newfound strength of hers. "Dioga Teoieshun!" E raised his arms up and created a very large dark purple orb with a pink outline. Inside the orb, thin silver circles started to stir around. As this occurred, the orb was emitting highly pressurized and dense energy, affecting almost everything in the vicinity. The roof collapsed from the pressure and the floor and walls were fissuring. Even Dioga Diamzu and Bao Zakeruga were affected, but that was more seen in the former.

The diamond Griffin started to grow weak from the dense energy created by Dioga Teoieshun. Pretty soon, Bao Zakeruga was gaining supremacy as it slowly pushed it back. "What density!" Zale commented, placing his free arm before his face as a means of protecting it. "Dioga Diamzu along with Bao Zakeruga, I think, are growing weak from it…" Shine said in disbelief, "E had _this _kind of spell in his arsenal?"

The thin silver circles out of nowhere stopped, forming a cruciform orbit. Apparitions of all nine planets in the solar system took respective spots on the cruciform syzygy. "It's done!" E announced, finding it an absolute chore not to lose consciousness while maintaining the powerful Dioga-class spell. "You mean…that wasn't the whole spell?" Kiyo said in disbelief. Even Angelica was shocked; if she still had her trauma, she probably would have needed therapy after seeing Dioga Teoieshun in action.

With a loud grunt of effort, E threw the giant psychic orb. Dioga Teoieshun assisted Bao Zakeruga in its struggle against Dioga Diamzu. It quickly become obvious that there was indeed strength in numbers; the diamond Griffin was losing to the electrical dragon and the sphere of psychokinesis.

When Shine noticed the first crack in Dioga Diamzu's structure, he knew it wouldn't last that much longer. He shouted to his bookkeeper, "Zale! I remember you saying that you had enough heart energy for one last coverage spell, right? Then use Ganjasu Orudiamzu to protect both you and me when Dioga Diamzu breaks!"

Zale looked at his Mamodo partner disbelievingly, "You don't honestly believe that's going to work…" Shine shot a powerful glare at him as he argued, "What choice do we have?" Again, the two were communicating somehow through simple glares; only this time, Zale was the recipient while Shine was the giver. The Swedish male nodded in understanding, "Okay. I trust your power, Shine."

After more seconds of harsh struggling, the combined power of Bao Zakeruga and Dioga Teoieshun overcame Dioga Diamzu, with it shattering into minute diamond crystals, and began making their way lethargically for Zale and Shine. "GO!" Kiyo shouted at the top of his lungs. "FINISH THEM!" Angelica yelled.

"NOW, ZALE" Shine screamed instructively, intending to use the last of his strength to protect him, Zale, and his spellbook from harm, "Got it! Ganjasu Orudiamzu!" A crown of diamond spikes enveloped Shine and Zale. The stalagmites rising from the ground circled around his crown, making sure it would have enough bulk to survive against Zatch's and E's most powerful spells.

* * *

><p>"Shine…Shine!"<p>

Shine shot open his eyes at the sound of his bookkeeper's voice. He saw that he was laying down on the floor, and Zale was kneeling down beside him. "Z-Zale…what happened? Where's the spellbook?" Shine questioned, sitting up abruptly but instantly tensed up with pain.

Zale placed a comforting hand on the back of Shine's head, showing him the blizzard blue spellbook, "It's fine. You're still in the battle to decide the King of the Mamodo World." He answered. The room that was the battlefield was nonexistent. The roof was gone and so were the majority of the walls, and it was a wonder why the floor hadn't caved in yet.

It was then Shine noticed the condition of his Swedish bookkeeper. Zale's upper clothing was ragged and disheveled, and he had a blood stream running down the left side of his face. Knowing Shine was going to ask, Zale explained to him, "You had passed out before Ganjasu Orudiamzu broke. I used myself to shield you and the book. Thankfully, Bao Zakeruga and Dioga Teoieshun had weakened enough to the point my human body could take them."

"Zale…" Shine mumbled quietly. He certainly appreciated the bookkeeper he got in this fight as opposed to the one he got one thousand years ago. That person would not have bothered like Zale did. "…You're certainly learning." He remarked, smiling a genuine smile. Zale smiled back but it disappeared when he heard people approaching them. Zale stood up, allowing Shine to lean on his leg for support, and saw that the victors of the battle were before them.

"Kiyo Takamine, Zatch Bell, Angelica Tsukoro, and E…" Zale declared, "We're impressed…Perhaps you all do have what it takes to defeat Zofis and destroy the Stone of Moonlight. And we were wrong, you guys aren't weak at all; you're actually tough."

Kiyo grinned as he responded, "Didn't we tell you that a number of times already?"

"Listen up!" Shine spoke authoritatively, "Zale and I will withdraw for now. However, this won't be the last time we meet. Now that we've recognized your strength, Zale and I are going to get stronger. I may be a Mamodo from one thousand years ago, but I see this as a second chance at becoming King—something I was robbed of back then."

"You guys are leaving?" E asked, blinking. Angelica scratched her head in confusion, "Wh-what about Zofis?"

"We don't care about Zofis and never did." Zale answered, "In fact, when Zofis and his bookkeeper approached me in Luxembourg one day. I didn't want anything to do with him until they showed Shine. Through his eyes, I could tell we were similar and experienced bitter trials. I couldn't leave him, so I pretended to pledge absolute allegiance to Zofis so he wouldn't manipulate my heart."

"Enough of this banter." Shine proclaimed, "In the meantime, you all better keep those books safe because I'll be back to burn them! And if anyone says they're going to do the same, tell them Shine and Zale Schwazden said 'hands off!'"

"Oh great…" Kiyo groaned as Zale and Shine turned to leave. As if he needed another Sherry and Brago or Bari and Gustav calling dibs on his spellbook.

"Zale. Shine." Angelica spoke firmly, stopping the two from leaving and everyone turned their attention to her, "Let me tell you two a little something about change—it's not a punishment, it is reality. Everything around you changes, for better or for worse. It is the way we as rational creatures interpret change that dictates its effects on us. Here's an example…Me. You guys communicate ocularly, right? Can't you tell from my eyes that I changed?"

Zale did indeed notice the drastic change in Angelica's eyes from when she first entered the battle compared to now. In fact, there was a new spark in them that almost intimidated him. His eyes shifted uncomfortably because he was getting another mental image of him in a weak and insignificant state—the one he was in during that fateful day.

"And it's all thanks to E. Ever since, I met him, he's done nothing but good for me, and now I'm back to my regular self thanks to him," Angelica looked off to the side as she finished up, "Keep that notion of "change" in your minds, will you?"

Wordlessly, Zale reached into his pockets and took out two small fragments of the Stone of Moonlight. "I will. Here." He tossed them to Kiyo and Angelica who each caught one, "They'll replenish your heart energy." Shine then said to them, "Give Zofis our regards and please kick his ass."

Without another word, Shine and Zale turned back around and resumed their departure. "Thank, Shine and Zale!" Zatch said to them graciously. They did not respond, but they did raise their hands up in a parting manner before disappearing. Unbeknownst to them, Myriam and Mystrael were following them, ready to settle things.

"Ang, that was beautiful." E commented earnestly. "Now, Shine and Zale really will become stronger," Kiyo announced, "Not because of their amount of training but because of what all four of us told them."

"Well, so will we!" Zatch proclaimed determinedly, "I need to get strong enough so that I can defeat a team like them on my own." E nodded in agreement, "You're right, Zatch. One day, it will be just two Mamodo standing and their bookkeepers in one last battle to decide the King. If it's any of us, we need to prepare for it."

"And I'm sure you guys will." Kiyo told them, smiling. Angelica smiled and nodded in agreement, now fiddling with her braids for some reason.

"ZATCH! KIYO!"

Zatch, Kiyo, E, and Angelica blinked in confusion before looking at the source of the multiple voices. Sunbeam, Ponygon, Curtis, Gretchen, Izo, and Nylon were finally caught up to them. Upon seeing Angelica and E for the first time in the battle, the latter four unrestrainedly said in shock: "E? Ang?"

"Hello. Nice day out, isn't it?" E responded, waving at them. "Hey, guys." Angelica greeted sheepishly, still messing with her braids.

"Oh my god! You made it!" Curtis said merrily, grinning jocundly. "And here, I was beginning to worry!" Izo said ecstatically, unable to keep back his smile. "Looks like you got your fair share of fun, E." Gretchen said, elbowing the psychic Mamodo playfully. "It's good to see you!" Nylon said, grinning and playfully patting E on his back.

"Ah, so you two are Angelica Tsukoro and E that Kiyo and Izo everyone else about, huh?" Sunbeam said, approaching the two while extending his hand, "Nice to meet you two! My name is Kafk Sunbeam and this is my Mamodo, Ponygon." Angelica shook the blonde engineer's hand respectfully, "It's a pleasure, sir."

"Alright, guys, let's move on." Kiyo said resolutely, turning to face the next door that will lead them further up, "The more time we dawdle, the closer Zofis is getting to accomplishing his goals."

"He's right." Sunbeam voiced his agreement. "Meru meru." Ponygon nodded.

"'Ey, I got more my homies in this fight now. I am ready and waiting to go!" Curtis said confidently. "Says the guy who still can't walk on his own." Gretchen said, grinning slyly. "Aight now, Gretchen. You pushin' it." Curtis warned her, glaring at her with his pale pink eyes.

"Well, I have no clue why we're still standing here. Let's go!" Nylon stated as he start walking forward, the others following suit.

"Er...uhh, give me a second, guys." Angelica stammered nervously, now fiddling with her braids more quickly. Izo turned and gave Angelica a confused as he asked, "Why?"

"Ah-ha! Got it!" Angelica announced. She had been removing her hair out of the braids, and with a flip of it, her hair had returned back its long, natural, wavy length. This finalized her ambition of putting the past behind her and the end of her trauma forevermore. "Sorry, I was getting rid of the braids." She apologized sheepishly as she caught up with her team.

"Bleck! Long hair…" Gretchen groaned tomboyishly as she continued walking on ahead with Sunbeam, and Ponygon. "Wow, your hair is so pretty!" Zatch complimented innocently, "It looks better than Tia's!" Kiyo chuckled as he went to follow those three ahead, "If she was here to hear that, she would've strangled you, Zatch." Zatch's eyes dilated in fear as he gulped, thinking about the many painful times Tia had wringed his neck. Silently, he followed his bookkeeper.

Angelica and E followed behind, the former's brownish-black hair flowing behind her. Izo could not help but stare as his classmate walked by. It had been so long since he had seen Angelica's hair at full-length, and she looked so resplendent in his eyes.

"What'cha starin' at, Izo?" Curtis asked knowingly, grinning his infamous grin. Izo cursed all the gods in the sky, for he had forgotten he was supporting his other classmate. "Nothing." Izo responded, trying to maintain his dignity as he followed. "Mmhmm. Yeah ,whatever." The ecru-haired gamer snickered.

"Don't make me drop you."

"Aight, I'll stay quiet…"


	11. Chapter 11: Of Families

**Chapter 11: Of Families**

Zale and Shine had long since left Deboro Ruins and were currently roaming through the jungle. This was the first time they had left the Ancient Mamodo headquarters as free people. Frankly, they weren't entirely sure what to do now that Zofis and the rest of the Millennium Mamodo were going to be defeated by the resistance. In addition to thoughts of the future, the words from the iconic people of their last fight were still fresh in their mind.

For Zale, he still had Angelica's definition of "change" and Kiyo's thoughts about allies and companionship:

_"Zatch is right, Zale and Shine! Take me for example. Before Zatch came into my life, I wouldn't nothing to do with anyone; friends, school, nothing! But Zatch changed all that; before I knew it, I had all my friends back and we grew strong together! Someone like you, who doesn't even want to make amends with his own sister, will never understand true love and companionship!"_

_"Let me tell you two a little something about change—it's not a punishment, it is reality. Everything around you changes, for better or for worse. It is the way we as rational creatures interpret change that dictates its effects on us…"_

For Shine, he was continuously about Zatch's and E's view of the difference between weakness and strength:

_"You're completely wrong! No one truly changes; the way people look at each other does! And Shine, everyone has a moment of weakness! It is not evil, it makes us better! Why do you think after all the physical pressure you've put me under, I'm still standing? I was weak, that much I'll admit, but I've told you: my friends and allies give me strength! Seeing the sad faces on the kind people I've met that have fallen in battle…I promised them that I will become a kind king!"_

_"…It doesn't matter if you're weak or strong at the start, it's the end of it all that matters. You have to put yourselves in the right situation and surpass all expectations. And you can't forget there are people with you, guiding you as you go. In the end, you become strong after all."_

"Curse those guys…" Shine rasped as he shut his eyes in an attempt to eliminate these thoughts, "Thinking about all that is making me feel weak."

"Let's try not to focus about that, Shine." Zale said, reverting back to his toneless method of speaking, "We have more much pressing matters to attend to. We have to get fixed up and healed, leave South America, and figure out how we are going to travel as we hunt down Mamodo to defeat."

"You're absolutely right." Shine agreed, "Sorting out our priorities are the first thing, then we focus on making me King. I don't care if I'm from one thousand years ago, I was screwed out of my chance at becoming King by Goren and my bookkeeper. I know for a fact that you and me together can see this to the very end."

"Hm." Zale responded tersely. Silence lingered between the two as they slowly but surely traversed the jungle of Deboro Ruins. They had some knowledge of its terrain, so they thought they could make their way out of it based on intuition and clues given by the forest.

Suddenly, Zale and Shine's instincts alerted them to something in their midst and they stopped walking. Silence continued to linger as they tried to use their ears to listen for whatever they stopped for. Save for the jungle noises, it was quiet as a mouse, but they wouldn't be fooled.

"Whoever is following us, come out now." The two demanded.

The two then heard soft delicate footsteps coming out of their hiding spots and come onto the trail they were walking on. "It's been a long time, Zale." Said a female voice.

Zale, recognizing the voice, gingerly and slowly turned his head and saw his older sister and her Mamodo were now among him and Shine. "So, you're Zale Schwazden," Mystrael remarked, hands politely behind her back, "Your sister has told me much about you."

"That's your sister, Zale?" Shine inquired, looking at the frowning male. "Yes, that's Myriam…" Zale said bitterly before looking back ahead and resuming their walk, "No one special." Shine unquestioningly followed his bookkeeper, "If you say—"

"Rior Maboro."

Suddenly, a spear-like spiral of darkness was shot over Zale and Shine, making the two freeze in their steps immediately. A second afterward, some of the trees that were struck by Rior Maboro fell down sonorously.

"Two gentlemen like yourselves should listen quietly when two ladies like us are about to speak." Mystrael said, letting her arm fall back to the side. Shine slowly turned to face the older Mamodo and said vehemently, "You did _not_ just try that." Mystrael winced inaudibly under the porcupine's harsh and infamous glare. But she knew Shine was in no condition to battle, and she knew she didn't have the power to beat him if a battle ensued.

"Zale…" Myriam spoke tenderly but firmly, "I have been looking for you ever since the Mamodo Fight began." Zale glared at his older sister, "I wonder why…considering you left me alone that day." Myriam, being one of the few people alive immune to Shine's or Zale's powerful glare, sighed before saying, "Foolish little brother, you don't know the half of it."

Zale remained calm and unperturbed, "Really now? I don't think it takes three years to make amends if you wanted to. The Mamodo Fight only began so long ago." Myriam narrowed her eyes as hissed back, "You know good and well why it took me so long." Zale matched her viperish look, "My memory is vague, please remind me."

Shine and Mystrael could feel the heavy tension between the Schwazden siblings, so heavy that Shine would have trouble holding it up if it were material. Mystrael stayed quiet, knowing this one was Myriam's main goal in her life, and she wasn't going to let all that searching go to waste. Shine really didn't want to be there at all; he and Zale had better things to do than settle a petty family feud.

"Zale, you seem to have the misunderstanding you're the only one of us who had rough early life." Myriam began, "How selfish of you…even though I always loved to see that formerly kind and radiant face of yours smile whenever you made progress in your career, I was secretly jealous of you. You got to go everywhere in Sweden, and eventually got to leave the country. Me, I was left confined to our hometown, unable to really do anything to further my career."

Zale lazily waved a dismissive arm off to the side, "Well, boo-hoo for you, sis. We all have our problems, and your one of mine." He turned heel and began to walk away. _"Gee, we're more alike than I thought."_ Shine thought, snickering and following suit.

"Rior Maboro!"

Shine, like a bullet, turned back around, got in front of Zale, and blocked the speak-like spiral of darkness. Zale whipped back around and his glare darkened, "Now why did you do that?" Mystrael dropped her arm to the side as she responded, "We weren't through talking, so I knew doing that would catch both of your attention."

Shine panted. His body was already somewhat weak from his battle with Zatch and E, so taking that Rior Maboro made it worse for him even though he did a good job not showing it. "Originally, Zale, I wanted to say 'to hell with this' and go on, but now we are entitled to defend ourselves," Shine hissed, "Besides, this Mamodo is a small fry anyway!" Zale exhaled sharply, "It's no good, Shine. You're too injured to fight another battle, and my heart energy is still gone."

"Then will you please utilize those manners of yours and listen up?" Mystrael asked with a hint of agitation, "I'm sure you don't want Myriam to read my more powerful spells."

Shine did not take threats likely, and he was a proponent of the proverb "the cornered rat will bite the cat." However, these two were hell-bent on settling this family feud once and for all, so what could he do. Zale's face practically defined the word indifference, but he had enough sense to know when to battle and when to not. Crossing his arms, he gestured Myriam to at least attempt to make amends.

"I'm certain you remember that day clear as day, Zale." Myriam began.

_Sundown had graced the day, blanketing a quaint town in Sweden with a russet sheen from the twilight. The town was fairly quiet with residents, visitors, and citizens strolling about and taking care of business, all the while minding their own._

_On the outskirts of the city was a fifteen-year-old Zale leaning against someone's black car. Both of which were positioned outside a small store. He was wearing a business suit in which his tie was undone lazily. Apparently, he was coming home from his classes. He grumbled in annoyance, "Come on…it doesn't take that long to—"_

_"Quit your complaining. I'm here." Nineteen-year-old Myriam said crisply as she approached her younger brother. Zale smiled brightly, "About time. Let's get home already."Myriam playfully rolled her eyes as she opened the car door to the driver seat, later unlocking the passenger door with a push of a button, and sat down inside along with her brother._

_As their sable vehicle drove off, they failed to notice some suspicious and shady characters entering the store, followed the sounds of a violent confrontation._

_"So how was your day, sis?" Zale asked, looking expectantly at his dark purple-haired older sister. "Same old, same old; nothing special." She replied. Zale frowned, "Come now. Something exciting must have happened."_

_"Not today, at least." Myriam tried a different response, hoping that would satisfy her brother. "Meh." Zale said as he slumped into his seat, looking forward. He was so unaware that Myriam did not have the resources or the opportunities he had. Myriam really envied her younger brother because of that._

_"Oh, Zale, I have to make another stop, if you don't mind." Myriam announced, coming to a stop at another store within the town's borders. "I'll come with you this time," Zale said, "That way, at least I'll be there to make sure you don't dawdle like a thousand-year-old tortoise."Myriam scoffed as she rolled her eyes and exited her car._

_Zale laughed as he too exited the car and followed Myriam inside. The two then entered the store which was a place where antique jewelry was sold. Zale grimaced at the contents of the store as he remarked, "Gee. You further delay our trip home for this?"_

_Myriam scowled, "Hush, boy."As she began approaching the clerk, she told her brother, "Browse around for a bit. You might find something you'll like." Zale shrugged his shoulders as walked off, "Doubt it, but all right."_

_Zale went down an isle in the quaint store and examined its items with mild interest. What he was really doing was killing time until Myriam got done with her business and making sure she didn't dawdle. However, something exceptional managed to catch his attention out of the corner of his eye. He retraced his steps backwards until he approached the item and got a good luck at it._

_It was an Egyptian-style necklace with a black thermochromic element as its emblem (basically, a mood necklace). Zale raised an interested eyebrow. That complimented his sister and her style quite nicely. Without a second thought, Zale removed the mood necklace from its display stand and began walking back to where his sister and the clerk were._

_"Excuse me. Are you done?" Zale asked politely. Myriam was currently being given a wooden box, signaling the finalization of a transaction between her and the clerk. "Yes, I am." She answered. Zale smiled, "Good, because I—"_

_Suddenly, the entrance to the shop burst open violently. Myriam, Zale, and the clerk turned to see two bandits at the entrance of the shop, the lower half of their faces masked by bandanas. Zale and Myriam narrowed their eyes at the intruders while clerk cowered in fear._

_"Alright, hand over your valuables and no one will get hurt." One of them said raspingly. "And why should we do that?" Myriam retorted as Zale crossed his arms uninvitingly. The clerk behind them began to motion his hand toward a security button underneath the desk, but suddenly another fly toward his mouth and dragged him off._

_Seeing their third partner do their job, the other smirked behind his bandana as he replied, "Because we said so." Zale sneered, "Don't think so. Now get lost before authorities come." The first bandit snickered mercilessly, "It'll take them some time before they get here. Our comrades all around are wreaking havoc and getting goods form people like you."_

_"What? What are you talking about?" The Schwazden siblings exclaimed in disbelief, right as the third bandit returned to his post with a metal pipe._

_"We're talking about THIS!"_

"Wait a minute." Zale interrupted the story, "You mean to tell me there was a third one involved, not just two?"

Myriam nodded, "That's right. Now I bet you're wondering why you didn't know while I did." Zale crossed his arms as he responded, "Well, an explanation would add credibility to your story. It's already drastically different from mine."

Myriam hope she was getting somewhere, somewhere that would lead to Zale understanding what really went down. "Why, certainly."

_"We're talking about THIS!"_

_Myriam could sense the presence of the third bandit behind her after that statement. She managed to duck her head to avoid the swing; however, her red eyes dilated when she heard the metal pipe impact on someone else's head._

_Zale, because his infamous Schwazden senses weren't yet fully developed, couldn't avoid the pipe and was struck on the head and fell to the ground. "Good, that's one down! Now get the other!" The two bandits said._

_Luckily for Myriam and Zale, fate did not want such injustice to transpire. The two bandits were suddenly tackled by police forces. "Uh-oh!" The third bandit exclaimed before dashing out of the backdoor exit, the same place where the clerk made his escape after supposedly being caught by him._

_"Zale! Wake up, Zale!" Myriam pleaded as she shook her unconscious brother. She didn't care that they were out of danger, her brother wasn't. He was unconscious. When the two bandits were apprehended, some more of the officers came over and tended to Zale. "Please, get him out of here." Myriam requested, "I don't want him to be in danger anymore."_

_The officers nodded and escorted him out of the store to be medically attended. Myriam watched pensively as the medical truck hauled away his brother. Staring regretfully, she hoped nothing bad would come out of this endeavor._

"I was…rendered unconscious?" Zale said incredulously but then interrogated, "If that's the case, then why I was still attacked?" Myriam answered, "Brother, please think. Those bandits were _all around_ town. Anything moneymaking establishment, including the clinic you were in, was susceptible to raids."

So after all this time, Zale was missing a valuable piece of memory of that event that led his bitterness toward his sister. The story was credible. Anyone that was rendered unconscious because of a metal object would have a hard time remembering that. His sister left him alone because she cared about his safety. It was just one of those instances where fate was indifferent.

"…I see…" Zale said, softer than usual.

"In my opinion, your credibility is still a bit vague." Shine spoke up for the first time since the story began, "Some intelligent people can fabricate an intricate story like that. And if you're the sister of Zale, that comes as no surprise."

Mystrael sneered, "How dare you…"

"Stand down, Mystrael." Myriam said, closing her eyes, "If Shine is unconvinced, then there is a chance that Zale remains doubtful. If I cannot communicate my truthfulness through words…" The lavender-grey spellbook behind her started to glow fervently as Mystrael extended her right arm fully toward the two males, "Then, I'll use have to use something straight from the heart! Reizu Mabrodon!"

Darkness began to convene around Mystrael's arm, charging up for some fairly powerful attack. Alert, Shine extended his arm, palm open, as he exclaimed, "Zale! I'm sure that break charged up your heart energy. Recite a fairly strong spell!"

"Stand down, Shine…" Zale requested softly as Shine looked at him in confusion. At first, Shine thought Zale was staring before them as apathetic as he usually was, but then, he noticed there was some other type of emotion cropping up in those crimson eyes of his. Understanding, Shine let his arm fall to the side as he too braced for whatever was going to happen.

From Mystrael's arm, a raven of darkness outlined by light purple energy was projected toward Zale and Shine. Even in the face of Myriam and Mystrael's most powerful spell, the two males stood dauntless and expressionless.

A large shroud of darkness blanketed the area as Dioga Mabrodon hit its mark. Many trees were toppled or destroyed and the landscape fissured. Myriam and Mystrael only watched the scene before with equal expressionlessness. The glow from the lavender grey spellbook slowly died away in concurrence with the darkness fading away.

"You Schwazden people are something else…The ability to communicate through different methods and heightened senses…"

"Yeah, we are, Shine…Yet we are still normal people."

The darkness subsided enough to reveal Zale and Shine standing where they were, albeit with more ragged appearances and some wounds—or in Shine's cases, more wounds. Another notable thing was that Zale was now holding something in his right hand. It was a primitive, wooden necklace with a purple thermochromic element as its emblem.

"So…this thing why is we were there…?" Zale said, slowly lifting up his hand to look at it. Myriam was smiling as she replied, "Yes…sorry it came so late." Zale smiled appreciatively as he pocketed the gift as his other reached inside his jacket, "I don't know why I kept it…but, it was for you." Swiftly, the black-haired male tossed something to Myriam. Yet confused, Myriam still managed to catch the item.

With that done, Zale turned around and began to walk away with Shine—who was grinning—following suit. "I, too, got you something for that day. Though, you never got the chance to see it because of that." Myriam was speechless. She could not utter a single word of gratitude or acknowledgment at the sight of the sterling necklace Zale—albeit unintentionally—kept in tow all this time. She held the necklace close to her heart as Mystrael said thankfully to the departing gentlemen, "There's a town outside the jungle vicinity. Look for a man named Apollo. He's the one relocating all bookkeepers of Ancient Mamodo."

Shine and Zale raised their hands up in a parting and acknowledging manner. Even if this was a heartfelt part of their story, the two still worked alone and had an objective to accomplish that required bloodshed and hard work. "I hope this little reconciliation didn't make you weak, Zale." Shine said seriously. "When we encounter our next prey, you'll see." Zale replied, reverting back to his toneless way of speaking. Shine smirked, showing his serrated teeth, as he responded, "Well, you're certainly learning; that's exactly what I want to hear. As long as you and I stick together, I'll come closer to being King of the Mamodo World."

Mystrael looked at her joyful bookkeeper, "Well, Myriam, you made amends with your brother. Now what are _we_ going to do?" Myriam had just placed the necklace around her neck as she answered, "Well, don't you have to find Mamodo that are King-material?"

"Yes, you're right." Mystrael replied as looked at Deboro Ruins in the distance, "The people in there are fine candidates for opposing Zofis and his army…Oh well. Let us move onto the next place." Myriam said, more happily than ever she said, "Sure thing."

As Myriam casted Go Maboruk, Myriam ruminated on the last gesture Zale gave her as he and his partner departed. The Schwazdens were known to communicate things through different means, and Zale conveyed this simple yet meaningful sentence through that parting gesture:

"You are forgiven."


	12. Chapter 12: Something New I

**Author Notes**

I did NOT expect _Something New _to be so long when I finished, so I split it up into two parts for the convenience of the readers. No wonder it took me so long to finish it.**  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru. Izo Uramori, Myriam Schwazden, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, Shine, and Zale Schwazden.

**Chapter 12: Something New I  
><strong>

"NOOOOO!"

The fallen Mamodo cried out in defeat as its spellbook was consumed in flames. His human partner ran away in fear of being the next poor soul to become prey of Zale Schwazden and Shine.

"So that's three so far that we've knocked out of the tournament already." Zale pointed out, stuffing the blizzard blue spellbook back into its usual place on his jacket. Shine crossed his arms as he stated, "It's a start. We just arrived in Japan only this morning."

Like most of the surviving people involved in battle against the Millennium Mamodo, Apollo made arrangements for Zale and Shine to be sent back home; however, they requested him to send them to Japan—where they believed most of the action in the Mamodo Fight was going to be after Zofis's impending defeat. They had only arrived at the Tokyo Airport this morning and were already making their presence in the battle known by sending three aforesaid teams packing by sundown.

"Shine," Zale spoke as he started walking, "we additionally need to focus on our resources as we travel. We no longer have Deboro Ruins as a shelter or the necessities it provided." Shine followed his partner, arms still crossed, as he agreed, "You're right. We need food, shelter, and water, and I'm sure a human like you has some extraneous needs as well."

Ignoring that last part of Shine's statement, Zale announced, "We'll stop in Mochinoki City. That place has everything we need for the night and the days to come." Shine sneered in disgust, "The city? In case you hadn't noticed, Zale, I'm a porcupine that walks, acts, and talks in a way that freaks you humans out. You're asking for trouble bringing me into civilization."

"Not only should it not be any of their business," Zale responded, "I already thought of something to get around that. But, you may need to hide out for a bit." Shine exhaled sharply before replying, "Whatever…"

* * *

><p>"I swear…humans dawdle for way too long…" Shine groused, leaning against the wall in an alleyway adjacent to the clothing store Zale had went in about twenty-five minutes ago. He looked up to the sky with his emerald green eyes and saw that dark clouds were amassing, making it darker more quickly. "And it looks like rain is heading our way."<p>

"Alright, I'm back." Zale announced, stepping into the alleyway with medium-sized travel bag. Shine looked at his bookkeeper and arched a brow. Zale was wearing an unzipped, black vest-jacket outlined by red on the hem, arm openings, and collar. Under this, he has a black shirt in which is slightly bell-sleeved, with slightly pointed shoulders, and close-fitter around the upper arm and shoulder areas. He wore a black belt that fastened black pants.

"Here." Zale tossed over a black, hooded cloak to Shine who caught it, "That'll mask your animalistic features completely. People will just think you're my pasty-faced younger sibling." Shine rolled his eyes as he donned the hooded cloak. True to Zale's words, only Shine's face could be seen and he looked like a normal, short person—minus the white face, the ferocious shine in his emerald eyes, and the serrated teeth.

"Alright, let's go. We need to find lodging before—" Shine was interrupted when a small drop of water fell on his face. Pretty soon, more water-drops followed until a little drizzle came over the area. "Too late." Shine said as Zale put on a rain-jacket to protect himself from the downpour.

Zale and Shine sauntered on the wet sidewalk, passing through many people, as they continued to converse. "Did you happen to look up places that have lodging in there?" Shine asked irritably. "Yes, you're in luck. What we're doing now is that I need to go to an ATM and get the amount of money we need." Zale responded. "Well, hurry up about it." Shine demanded impatiently. "Shut up." Zale retorted.

Eventually, Zale and Shine did indeed arrive at an ATM on the outside of another store. Shine waited with crossed arms and closed eyes as Zale did his business on the machine. When Shine heard Zale swear under his breath, he opened his right eye halfway and said, "There's a problem, isn't it?"

Zale sighed, "Sadly…it seems I don't have enough money for lodging." Shine snarled dangerously, "How careless of you, Zale. Now we're going to have camp out in alleyway like plebeians!" Zale shot his mamodo partner a glare, "I tried, Shine. I would think you would be more understanding." Shine glared back, "Hmph! I should've known humans like you would be this irresponsible." Zale snapped, "Oh, bite me, Shine! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have gotten this far!" Shine snapped back, "Whatever, Zale! But the truth of the matter is, we have no lodging and we're stuck in the blasted rain, and it's—"

"Excuse me."

Shine and Zale abruptly stopped their disagreement and looked to the person who stepped into their business. The person before them faltered slightly because of their sharp looks, but managed to say, "Um, my parents and I couldn't help but notice that…you two were having trouble finding lodging?"

Shine and Zale arched a curious eyebrow as they examined who the kind person was. The person was a female with blackish-blue hair and she was wearing a sort of school uniform—mainly colored burgundy, dark green, and with a white, collared undershirt. Her mother and father were behind her.

"Yes, what of it?" Zale responded, hoping he did not sound rude or sarcastic. The girl's mother spoke, "Because it's so hard to see this little guy suffer in the rain, and you seem to be trying your best to take care of him."

That's right. Zale and Shine were supposed to keep up the façade of them being brothers in public. Deciding to milk this opportunity for all it was worth, Shine spoke, trying to sound as pathetic as possible, "Yes…Zale here has been doing his best to find lodging and keep us surviving for such a long time…it's so sad that sometimes fate just doesn't want that." Zale pretended to nod forlornly, "But, alas, there is nothing we can do except go somewhere else in this downpour for the night."

"Nonsense!" The girl said sternly, "You guys are staying with us."

"And that's final." The mother and father of the girl added in. Without another word, the girl and her parents led the way in the rain. Zale and Shine followed, grinning at each other triumphantly.

* * *

><p>"And this is our home!"<p>

Zale removed his soaked jacket and hung on it on the coat rack near the door—the parents had done the same thing upon entry. Shine continued to keep on his cloak so as to make sure the girl nor the parents could see he really was underneath it.

"By the way, my name is Lori, and these are my parents." The blackish-blue haired girl introduced herself, placing her damp umbrella near the coat rack. "I'll go ahead and get dinner ready." Lori's mother announced as she entered the kitchen, "So get comfortable, Zale and Shine!"

"Shine, why don't you get out of that cloak of yours?" Lori's father suggested, "You'll catch a cold keeping it on." The anthropomorphic porcupine made no expression at all, but his mind told a different story—his true identity would be revealed if he took off the cloak in front of Lori and his father.

Luckily, Zale was prepared. He took out a spare cloak from his travel bag, "He's right, Shine. Go to the bathroom and change." Shine mentally sighed in relief. Only someone like Zale could be so prepared. "Where's the bathroom?" He asked, taking the extra cloak.

"Over there." Lori answered, pointing in the direction. Shine bowed in respect before heading into the bathroom to change cloaks.

"So, Zale, why don't we get acquainted since you'll be spending the night here?" Lori's father suggested and then asked, "What's yours and Shine's story?"

Zale thought about what to say to satisfy Lori and her father while not revealing any information about Shine being a Mamodo and stuff like that. But he also didn't want to lie to these kind people. After all, they were giving him a roof over his and Shine's head. "Well, Shine and I recently left the place we were staying at in South America because it got overrun. So, we've fended for ourselves since, but my older sister helped us getting over to Japan."

"South America? You guys must have come a long way." Lori said, staring at the black-haired Schwazden. "Well, we were originally from Sweden until we had to move. We're all over the place." Zale said, adding in a fake chuckle of nervousness. "For what reason?" Lori's father asked curiously. "I'd rather not talk about it." Zale sighed, this time being totally truthful.

"I'm back." Shine announced with a mumble, wearing the new cloak, still appearing as Zale's pasty-faced younger brother, and tossed the wet one to Zale. "Welcome back—…" The wet cloak that Shine took off smacked into Zale's face with a wet SPLAT. When it fell off his face, Zale's annoyed glare directed at Shine was revealed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was I supposed to hang that?" Shine responded, grinning his feral grin. Lori giggled at Zale's face while Lori's father simply sweat-dropped. "Little brat." Zale muttered as he picked up the damped cloak, stood from his face, and went to hang it up. "I heard that." Shine retorted as he took a seat at the table and crossed his arms.

"Anyway," Lori spoke, wanting to learn more about the two, "Shine, Zale was just telling us about you two." Shine closed his emerald eyes, "Really now?" Lori nodded, "Yes! I mean, you two are lucky enough to travel around so much…even though it's just you two and are struggling…"

"Meh." Shine slumped in his seat uninterestedly, "You get used to it."

"Come now," Lori's father stepped in sternly, "Seeing new places is always a thrill and having someone as caring as Zale to spend it with should be an honor." Shine snickered, "When you spend enough time with Zale, it's not that much of an honor." His grin widened mockingly when he heard Lori giggle again, signaling Zale had sent him another annoyed glare. At least they were really acting like siblings.

"Alright, dinner's ready!" Lori's mother announced.

Zale leaned over to Shine and whispered, "Try not to let your Mamodo appetite get in the way." Shine whispered back in response, "I'll try not; after all, I like eating my food raw instead of it cooked."

Zale would learn quickly that Shine no longer gave a damn if the food was raw or cooked; if it was delicious, he was going to eat. Lori and her mother and father could only stare unblinkingly with agape mouths as Shine ravenously devoured his meal, as if he was being starved for days. Zale, meanwhile, ate his food civilly.

"Um, I see…the food's good." Lori's mother said, now absentmindedly eating her plate of food as she looked at Shine. "Anyone eating that fish?" Shine asked bluntly, not caring about what the human beings around him were thinking or how they were looking at him. Lori's father motioned the plate with the fish on it to Shine, who abruptly snatched it off the plate and swallowed it whole.

Feeling obligated to say something, the Swedish male said, "You'll have to excuse him. He has no table manners." Shine gulped down his mouthful of food as he retorted, "You should feed me better then, _big _brother." Zale felt one of his veins pop in his forehead. Shine was so lucky they were among nice people. Then again, if they weren't, Shine would have no need to say that.

"Now, now, I'm sure Zale does his best for you." Lori spoke, sweat-dropping nervously. Deciding to cut the red-eye teen a break, Shine replied earnestly, "Well, I will admit this: I've seen my fair share of reality, and I can say with certainty that I don't want to be with anyone else other than Zale. Guy's got flair, grit, and intelligence."

Lori smiled as she said, "I'm glad he does."

"You're such a nice guy, Zale." Lori's mother complimented. "Thanks for not making us regret helping you guys." Lori's father said. Zale smiled as he replied, "Certainly. It would be criminal to misuse you kind people's trust."

"Hey, are you guys going to finish eating that?" Shine asked, ruining the mood of the situation. Sweat-dropping, the four humans motioned their unfinished plates to the cloaked Mamodo. "All right!" Said Mamodo proceeded to finish off the dinner.

After dinner ended and everyone was excused from the table, Lori volunteered to show Zale and Shine where they would be sleeping for the day. "This is the guest room, Zale and Shine." Lori announced as she went to the sliding closet and opened it, "And here are your futons."

"Thank you, Lori." Zale said appreciatively as he took his vest off and threw it to the floor, "And sorry for being an intrusion. We'll leave as soon as the rain goes away."

"Oh no, you guys are no trouble at all!" Lori reassured him kindly, "Stay as long as you need it. Nice people in need are always welcomed."

"I need to take a leak." Shine announced rudely as he walked out of the guest room. Zale snarled in disgust as Lori only blinked. Zale suddenly remembered that Shine possibly did not know how to operate a toilet, especially if it was intricate. "Um, be right back, Lori." Zale said hurriedly as exited the room.

"Um, okay…" Lori said in confusion. To be nice, Lori decided to set up the futons for Zale and Shine. As she set up Zale's futon, she noticed something inside his discarded vest. She tried to squash her curiosity as it would be invading his privacy, but there was something off that she had to investigate.

She crawled over to the vest and pulled out the item. Her dark blue eyes widened in shock at the spellbook she now had in her hands. It was just like her former parent's, only it was blizzard blue and not pink. _"Z-Zale is the bookkeeper of a Mamodo?" _She thought wonderingly, _"Who could be his partner…? No way…is it Shine—"_

Lori gasped quietly when she footsteps that signaled the return of Shine and Zale. Quickly, she stuffed the blizzard blue spellbook back into its original spot and pretended to continue fixing up the futons. Shine and Zale reentered the room.

"Oh, you're back!" Lori announced, standing on her feet, "Well, I fixed up your futons, so if you need anything else, just call! Have a good night, you two!" With that, the blackish-blue haired teen exited the room.

Zale and Shine only stared unblinkingly; that was way too abrupt for their tastes. "O…kay…?"

* * *

><p>The next morning, Zale entered the main room of the house with a yawn, "Good morning." When he entered, his expression turned blank when he saw Shine devouring breakfast as ravenously as he did last night's dinner. "Uh, good morning, Zale." Lori, who was also at the table with Shine, greeted sheepishly.<p>

"How's the weather outside?" Zale asked, looking the dark blue-eyed girl. "It's nice and sunny! The rain's completely gone." Lori announced as she stood from her seat. "Perfect." Zale said thankfully. That meant he and Shine could be on their way now if they felt like it; he also had to see if his sister could provide any spare money in his account so that they wouldn't have to ask strangers for lodging constantly.

"Zale, do you want any breakfast?" Lori asked, making her way for the kitchen but stopping in front of the entrance so that she could hear his answer. "Yes, please. But I don't want much." Zale answered, taking a seat by his Mamodo partner who had just finished his meal. "You got it!" Lori chirped in response as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"As soon as you're done eating, we're leaving, Zale." Shine declared. "Yeah, I planned on it." The Swedish male responded and then inquired, "Where are Lori's parents?" The anthropomorphic porcupine replied as he crossed his arms, "They're working at jobs; however, Lori said she was used to taking care of the house while they were gone."

"Hm." Zale succinctly replied.

Just then, Lori came back from the kitchen and announced sheepishly, "Zale, it seems that…Shine ate the rest of our leftover breakfast food."

"Whoops." Shine said with very light embarrassment, rubbing the back of his hooded head. Zale sighed lightly, "I see." A thought then came into Lori's head: since Zale was the bookkeeper of a Mamodo, who was assumingly Shine, maybe she could try and see what Zale fights for, to see if he too was a benevolent person like Zatch and Kiyo. "Um, Zale?" She began, "If it's not too much, do you mind coming with me to the grocery store to resupply?"

Shine was about to speak in order to voice his declination of the offer; however, Zale spoke before him, "Sure. I guess I'm responsible for Shine siphoning you and your family of your food." Shine looked at his black-haired bookkeeper sternly but soundlessly, and Zale caught it. Shine was communicating his disagreement to the idea because it was time to move on and hunt for Mamodo. However, the crimson-eyed male was undaunted by Shine's thoughts. He had to do this out of obligation.

"Then, Shine, you don't mind guarding the house while we're gone?" Lori requested, looking at the emerald-eyed Mamodo. Closing his eyes, Shine sighed as he replied, "Sure, I guess."

"Great. Then let's go, Zale!" Lori said as she led the way out of the house. Zale soundlessly followed the blackish-blue haired girl and closed the door behind them. When the two left, Shine slumped in his seat, "Humans, I swear…" Suddenly, his eyes shot up as his instincts faintly alerted him to something, _"Hold up…are those Mamodo I'm sensing…?"_

* * *

><p>Zale and Lori were now in the grocery store in downtown Mochinoki City. The Swedish male was pushing the shopping cart, with seemingly mild interest, while the Japanese female was mumbling items from the list and then placing them in the cart.<p>

"How much more is left?" Zale interrogated, straightening up in his stance. "A couple more." Lori announced, taking an item off a nearby shelf and placing it in the cart. Zale guessed her should not complain. They were only in the store for like a couple minutes and were getting only so many groceries.

"Take your time then…" Zale said droningly and with a hint of boredom. Lori noticed that and decided it was finally time to bring about an important subject. With her back still turned to the guy, she spoke, "Zale…how would you react if I told you I used to be the bookkeeper of a Mamodo?"

Zale instantly stopped pushing the cart as he replied blankly, "….What? You were?"

"Sounds like you know what I'm talking about." Lori said, giggling in her mind at how she caught him. "…Hm. Yeah, I do." Zale admitted. Now that he thought about it, he was not in any sort of danger. Lori was too nice to just challenge him and Shine out of the blue. The spellbook wasn't in any danger either because he had it in his vest right now.

"So does that mean Shine is your Mamodo?" Lori asked. "That better be a rhetorical question." Zale responded. After all, if Lori herself was a former bookkeeper of a Mamodo, the answer should be obvious. Realizing that, Lori chuckled nervously, "Oh, of course. Silly me." Zale chuckled a little that too, but quickly frowned. That was certainly odd; he had never chuckled at something as petty as that before.

"I know what you're about to ask next, so I'll answer anyway," Lori said, finally turning around to face Zale, "When I was setting up your futons, I saw it in the vest you so haphazardly took off." Based on the disgruntled look on his face, Lori speculated that Zale was scolding himself for allowing that to happen.

"Well, so you know. What about it?" Zale asked uncaringly, proceeding to try and push the cart around the blackish blue-haired girl. However, she stopped him by placing her hands onto the side and said, "Zale…my Mamodo was named Kolulu. I treated her like my little sister, but she turned into something gruesome every time I read a spell. I vowed to not read the spellbook just so that wouldn't happen. Then, there was this one day where I had to do it in order to save Kolulu's life. Luckily, there were these two gracious people who saved Kolulu and burned her book."

Zale suppressed the will to say 'wasn't that nice of them' and instead said, "And who were they?"

"The bookkeeper was Kiyo Takamine, and the Mamodo Kolulu entrusted to being a "kind king" was Zatch Bell."

Zale's eyes dilated in shock at the mention of that particular duo. They, along with Angelica and E, fought him and Shine only two days ago. It was they who introduced that idea of companionship. Just how many people did those accursed two meet?

"I see. Where are you getting with this?" Zale asked; he didn't realize he had spoken more softly and respectfully than what was deemed characteristic of him. "Zale, I want to know…for what reason are you and Shine fighting in this battle?" Lori asked, eyeing at him hopefully. "Simple—to make Shine king." Zale answered.

"Why? Is there particular reason why he wants to be king?" Lori continued to ask. Zale opened his mouth to reply, but found himself unable to make words. Now that he thought about it, Shine did not give a straight reason why he wanted to be King. He just said he wanted to be king. "You know…Shine has never really told me, but he seems really adamant on becoming King…so there must be a good reason." was the answer Zale decided on.

"Maybe you should ask him." Lori said, "It would really put me at ease to know that there are even more teams out there in the tournament that have good intentions."

"Well, I suppose I can," Zale said, "It's the least I can do for you and your parents' hospitality." Lori smiled appreciatively and replied, "Thanks, Zale. Now, let's hurry home. Shine's probably getting impatient." Although Zale did roll his eyes, he knew without a doubt that Shine was already impatient. He also hoped that Shine's reason to become king did indeed have at least a sliver of good intention because he how brusque Shine could be.

After purchasing the groceries and making their way back, Lori and Zale returned the household. "Took you two long enough." Shine gruffly stated, leaning back in a chair at the dinner table with his arms crossed, eyes closed, and feet propped on the table. "Yeah, yeah…" came Zale's sarcastic reply as he set the groceries on the table.

"Well, Zale and Shine, I guess you two should get going you said you would." Lori proclaimed. Shine jumped from his seat and said, "Appreciate the lodging for the night. We'll keep in touch." Zale added in as he opened the front door, "Yes, we certainly will. We'll remember you, Lori."

"It's no big deal. Come back again, if you need to." Lori said, smiling. Zale smiled back as he and Shine finally exited the house in order to continue their journey. Now with them gone, the blackish blue-haired girl turned to sorting out and storing away the groceries, "Alright, now to—"

Suddenly, soft knocks sounded on the door. "Hm? They must have forgotten something." Lori said aloud as she went to the door, "May I—"

Lori released a bloodcurdling scream as the last thing she remembered was being entangled by vines.


	13. Chapter 13: Something New II

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru. Izo Uramori, Myriam Schwazden, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, Shine, Zale Schwazden, Thoria, Cassandra, Vini, Amanda, Phoebe, and Samantha.

**Chapter 13: Something New II**

"In a matter of minutes, I finally can ditch this stupid cloak." Shine said grumbly as he tugged irritably at the cloak's hem. The two were close to exiting city limits where they would continue their journey.

"So, hunting Mamodo, huh?" Zale said for confirmation.

"That's right, and the loser will disappear." Shine said bloodthirstily, raring to eliminate Mamodo, "That will make the day come closer to when I become King!"

When Shine said that, the request Lori gave him immediately came back to his mind. As such, the Swedish book owner asked, "Shine…I must ask; why are you so obsessed with becoming King?"

"I never really told you, haven't I?" Shine snickered, "You never seemed to care until now; you never really questioned my motives."

"Just answer the question." Zale snapped back in his usual toneless manner.

Shine explained, "Well, my desire to be King simply came from the me one thousand years ago. I wanted to become a strong, powerful King…in order to eliminate the source of my bitterness." The anthropomorphic porcupine clenched his fists at this point as he continued, "But when Goren and my past bookkeeper screwed me out of that, my anger steadily increased as that lonesome millennium passed by. Now, I have no idea how the Mamodo World is in the present…but I want to make sure, and that's by becoming King."

That's right; Zale and Shine empathized with each other but they each initially shared strong bitterness for something that changed them. That's how Zale was able to optically communicate with Shine when they first met. "And that source of your bitterness is…?" Zale asked.

"Something awfully similar to yours," Shine answered, growling, "My clan."

After revealing that vital piece of info, the sounds of sirens blaring suddenly filled the area. Shine and Zale, among the rest of the passersby, immediately stopped walking and saw multiple police vehicles zooming by. "Well this is out of the ordinary." Zale commented, crossing his arms. "Definitely. Something's wrong." Shine said forebodingly. After all, there were absolutely no instances of criminal activity in the city—well apparently not until now.

Just then, a paddy wagon rounded the corner, and Shine saw this as an opportunity to seek answers. "Stay here, Zale." he ordered as he sprung into action. Zale already knew what was about to happen and hoped that no one else but him was going to see it.

The driver was in the middle of finishing to a call on his radio, "10-4. Copy that. I'm on my—WHAT THE?" The police van was inexplicably and suddenly stopped. He couldn't understand why that was so. Shutting off the police van, he quickly went to investigate the cause. However, the moment he jumped out of the driver seat, he was approached by Shine, "Sir, I couldn't help but notice the strange amount of police cars rushing through here. What's going on?"

Although the police officer found it odd that a cloaked "child" had approached him, he answered regardless, "There is a fiasco going down on downtown. Many people and civilians were suddenly kidnapped, and a botanical citadel has stopped forces from advancing to them. The ones responsible are demanding every ounce of jewelry and valuables from jewelry and designer stores in the city on the outskirts."

Shine drunk in the explanation provided by the police officer. He then nodded as he ran off, "Thanks!" With that done, the police offer went to see what caused his paddy wagon to abruptly stop. "Nosy kids-WHAT THE HELL!" He paled dramatically when he saw the back half of the police van ripped clean off.

Zale and Shine had long left that scene and were rushing to downtown Mochinoki City. "So those were the Mamodo I was sensing previously," Shine pointed out, "They were weak, but to think they are causing this big of a commotion."

Suddenly, up ahead, they saw a crowd of people. They were all looking at something in a display window. "What are they doing?" Shine questioned as he and Zale stopped in the back of the group. They were all watching a breaking news report on multiple TVs on a display. It was predictably covering the details of the occurrence.

"Suddenly, within Mochinoki City's downtown area, a ring of thorns and vines cut off an area. Witnesses described that three strange female creatures with three humans with odd books were the cause of that. Additionally, a number of innocent people are being held for ransom. The criminal group of females is demanding all priceless goods in the city in exchange for their freedom."

As the newscaster explained the situation, a camera crew located in a helicopter above designated area provided footage of the situation. Indeed, a ring-shaped citadel of thorns and vines was located in the downtown area. Even with the powerful camera on full zoom, only silhouettes of people could be seen within it.

"Tch. Only weak Mamodo go through such trouble for something they want." Shine sneered, "Come on, Zale, we're going to eliminate them." Zale unquestioningly followed, "And the captives?"

"If they get caught in the crossfire, it's their fault."

* * *

><p>Shine and Zale arrived at the site of the disturbance, particularly the part where the most police officer, new reporters, and other officials and force amassed themselves. A large door-like object was connected the citadel with a large rose imprinted on the face of it.<p>

"I swear it's pathetic how they're handling the situation." Zale affronted, pulling out the blizzard blue spellbook from inside his vest. "Glad to know we think alike." Shine snickered as he and his bookkeeper continued to approach, ignoring the calls the police officers gave to them.

However, one police commander was ballsy enough to actually get in their way. "Hey, hey, this is sealed-off territory," the dark-skinned higher-up said gruffly, "Turn back around."

"Zale, can I take off this ridiculous cloak?" Shine asked his bookkeeper, blatantly ignoring the police commander. "Sure. I don't care whatsoever." Zale replied, no longer caring if Shine's true identity was revealed to the public, given the circumstances. "Hey! Don't ignore—" The police commander was abruptly silenced as Shine removed his cloak and tossed to his face. The surrounding people gasped at the true appearance of the Millennium Mamodo.

Zale walked past the flustered police commander as he demanded, "Don't get in the way if you know what's good for you. Leave this to us." The blizzard blue spellbook began to glow as Shine positioned himself in front of the door.

Meanwhile, inside the botanical stronghold, three teams of women and female Mamodo were vainly perched on thrones of overly beautiful flowers.

"Just think, girls, in a matter of minutes, we'll be rich beyond our wildest dreams!" A blonde human by the name of Cassandra gushed. Her Mamodo, whose name was Thoria, wore a strapless, leafy dress with denim, Capri pants and boots.

"And all it took was our three charitable little Mamodo." A redhead by the name of Amanda squealed as she hugged her Mamodo. The Mamodo, whose was named Vini, reciprocated the hug. She wore a high-necked, flowery halter dress with denim, Capri pants and boots.

"Underprivileged is a no-no in our book." A brunette named Samantha stated, smirking. Her Mamodo, Phoebe, was also smirking. She was wearing a colorful, long sleeved dress with rosebuds adorning it, denim Capri pants, and boots.

Behind their thrones were the captive people, all tied by vines and against the wall. Among those held for ransom were Lori and her parents. "To think, plants were supposed to be a beautiful part of nature." Lori's mother said woefully. "Don't worry, we'll get out of here…somehow." Lori's father consoled his family. Lori stayed quiet as he looked at the ground. She was praying that another team like Zatch and Kiyo would come save them all and end this.

"Diamonruk!"

Everything conversation and thought stopped once the disturbance to atmosphere made its presence. The door to the inner sanctum of the citadel was suddenly slashed into green bits. In its place was Zale and Shine, the latter's right arm transformed into a large diamond blade.

"Zale! Shine!" Lori exclaimed in an overjoyed manner. Many of the people around her were equally thrilled to see their apparent saviors, even if they were another human-freak team like their captors.

Speaking of captors, all six ladies frowned sourly at the sight of an unwanted guest. "Who invited you?" Thoria sharply asked. "Ourselves." Zale and Shine responded calmly, causing the sextet to grit their teeth in anger. The phthalo green spellbook in Amanda's hands glowed as she said, "Then let us kindly show you the door. Juron!" Vini held out her glowing hand and summoned a large vine behind Zale and Shine. However, the minute it came, it was sliced in half. Vini gasped, "What the?"

"How unobservant." Zale affronted tonelessly, "I never stopped casting my Diamonruk spell." Sensing this opposition was going to be a challenge, Thoria, Vini, and Phoebe all jumped down from their thrones and onto the ground. At this point, the glow temporarily disappeared from the blizzard blue spellbook and Shine's arm reverted to normal.

"Shine, I'm going to free those people. You handle these girls." Zale informed as he starting walking off to the side. "Good. I don't need you to take these weaklings on." Shine stated, crossing his arms. Reacting instantly, Vini darted for the apathetic Zale, "Don't think lightly of us!"

Out of nowhere, Shine appeared in her way, "Back off!" He roared as he raised his leg and kicked Vini back over to her allies. "Gee. If that's how you treat a lady, I'd hate to see your girlfriend." Phoebe remarked in an unimpressed tone. "Don't have one. Quit your babbling and fight." Shine demanded.

"Gigano Doruthorsen!" Cassandra recited the spell from the glowing celadon spellbook. Thoria extended both of her hands and spontaneously a large, spiky drill of thorns. Shine simply held up his hand and grabbed the drill, its spinning cycle stopping instantly. Then, the drill started spinning in reverse, and since Thoria was unfortunately connected to the other side by her arms, she started spinning along with it.

"Oh my-Thoria!" Cassandra exclaimed as he canceled the spell. Thoria fell to the ground dizzily, eyes replaced by swirls. "I got your back, Cassy." Amanda said as her phthalo green spellbook glowed, "Jurondo!" Vini's eyes glowed green as she summoned multiple vines from underneath Shine and they started wrapping around his body like a cocoon. "Got him." Vini declared, grinning.

A moment afterward, the sounds of something stabbing into the vines was heard. Then, they were forcibly ripped apart. Shine landed back on the ground and picked residual vines out of his spines. "Next." He requested in a bored manner. Vini and her bookkeeper Amanda felt one of their veins pop in their foreheads.

Meanwhile, as Shine distracted the girls, Zale managed his way out to the captives and assisted the first person he recognized. "Zale, I'm so glad you decided to stay in town a little longer." Lori said appreciatively as the Swedish male kneeled beside.

"Yeah, well, that's how things can be." Zale replied nonchalantly as he set the spellbook down. Automatically, a small tantō slipped out of right sleeve and into his hand. "Now hold still, I have to cut off these vines one-by-one. I'll do the rest of you immediately afterward. When you're free, you have two choices—leave quietly or help free the others. Either way, you're doing me good." He instructed, his voice loud enough for most the people around to hear. Lori smiled as she adjusted herself so that Zale could begin cutting the vines.

"Ganzu Thorsen!"

"Ferozuga!"

"Jurusu!"

Shine swiftly ran around, dodging the barrage of thorns (Ganzu Thorsen), pink laser beams from a roses (Ferozuga), and glowing energy vines uprooting from the ground (Jurusu). "It's about time you ladies got serious for a change." Shine commented as he jumped over another energy vine. "It's maddening that you haven't used a spell yet." Samantha said. "Because you're not worthy." Shine replied.

"We'll show you worthy!" Cassandra exclaimed and then recited the next spell, "Baagasu Thorsen!" Thoria suddenly discharged multiple sharp thorny projectiles at Shine. "Try dodging those, sweetheart." Thoria said, grinning a little.

Zale was in the middle of cutting the vines of another patron when he suddenly sensed something. "….One second." He said before adjusting his body so that his hand was flat against the blizzard blue spellbook, "Diamzu Shield." Against Shine's will, a dark blue, diamond hexagram formed in front of him. The shield blocked against Baagasu Thorsen rather easily. "Well, at least we got him using spells now." Phoebe said proudly.

Acting as if nothing happened, Zale resumed freeing the person. Lori, who was watching him as she freed another, could look at him in a mystified way, _"Without looking or seeming to care, Zale knew exactly what spell to cast for Shine…Those two have that powerful of bond to understand and work with each other at that level?"_

"Zale!" Shine shouted in aggravation, "Didn't I tell you I didn't need you for this?"

"Keep up the tough guy act if you want," Zale retorted, "But I'll step in whenever _I _feel necessary." As Shine growled audibly, Lori sweat-dropped; maybe the two weren't in synch as they implied.

"It seems we're attacking the wrong guy." Samantha spoke insightfully. In a blink of an eye, Thoria was already charging for Zale, "So it seems! Get the bookkeeper before he frees everyone!" She shouted. "Thorouk!" Cassandra recited the spell, thinking they got them now. This spell created thorny claws and spikes around Thoria's arms. But before she actually got a chance to use them, she felt an unbearable tug.

"This is what you get for turning your back on me." Thoria was making hoarse sounds of pain as Shine, with a fistful of her green hair, pulled at it mercilessly while keeping his foot at the base her spine. "OW OW OW OW OW! THAT HURTS!" Thoria screamed in distress, flailing her arms immaturely and unable to help herself. "Oh my god, he's pulling her hair!" Cassandra stressed out, immediately cancelling the spell. Thoria's companions were also on the verge of hysterics, demanding Shine to let go with no avail.

Meanwhile, everyone else—and the captives—stared blankly at the scene. Thankfully for Zale, it did exactly was he wanted to do: provide a distraction as he quickly freed the remaining captives (he was also glad the ones already freed stayed to help him). "Come on, let's get you guys of here!" Zale shouted. "About time." Shine said as he aggressively threw Thoria, by her hair, back to her comrades.

"What? No!" Amanda cried out, landing on the ground after jumping off her throne, "Don't let them! We need them for the ransom!" Cassandra and Samantha did the same as the former replied, "I'll tie them back down! Juronudo!"

"Go Diamonruk."

As many vines erupted from the ground around the group of captives, Shine assumed his feral, diamond transformative state. With increased speed and power, the Go Diamonruk-induced Mamodo was able to easily slice through the vines. "Keep moving! I'm getting tired of protecting you people!" Shine roared commandingly in the midst of his actions.

Heeding his words, the captives were eventually escorted out of the citadel and through the open entrance. "What? NO!" Thoria, Cassandra, Vini, and Amanda exclaimed in disbelief and defeat. Out goes their captives and, thusly, their money and jewels.

Zale made sure each and every person was taken out of the battlefield. Fate being an odd thing, Lori and her family was the very last three to be checked on. "Zale, are you going to be okay?" Lori asked concernedly. "Of course." Zale replied as he started walking forward, back to the battle itself, "You need to get you and your parents out of here. I'll end this quickly."

"Come on, Lori, let him handle…whatever's happening." Lori's father stated as he directed his wife and daughter to where the police were. Lori's mother was willing but Lori herself was somewhat hesitant. Eventually, she reluctantly decided to go.

"Now, no more intrusions." Zale announced, with the smallest hints of relief, as he cancelled the Go Diamonruk spell. "Finally." Shine stated as he was reverted back to his normal self. "Why you…" Amanda sneered, gritting her teeth. "Now how are we supposed to provide for ourselves?" Samantha said woefully, but her and her Mamodo were the calmest of the group.

"Holding people for ransom and demanding money isn't the way." Zale responded. "You, you three Mamodo, should be ashamed for assisting them in that." Shine growled ferociously, making all three of the female Mamodo flinched uneasily.

"Like you will ever understand." Samantha continued abrasively, "Do you know what it's like for us three…to have your father step out of your lives and force your mother with him?" Zale raised a curious eyebrow; apparently there was a reason for their criminal doings. However, neither he nor Shine was there to make friends or listen to sob stories, and they made that obvious with their remark: "Never have, never will; can we skip all the bullshit?"

"Ooh, we'll show you." Samantha said irefully as she turned pages in her Persian pink spellbook, "My Mamodo has a particularly effective spell for males like you." Zale and Shine raised an eyebrow and simply waited to see what this technique was. The Persian pink spellbook glowed as the rosebuds on Phoebe's outfit did the same, "Modiero Ferodon."

Slamming her hands on the ground, three giant roses rose from the ground at parts of the battlefield. The core of these flowers then released a sparkling red gas. Within seconds, the whole battlefield was blanketed with this red gas.

And Shine and Zale immediately noticed the effects of this Modiero Ferodon. At the first inhale of the rich, fragrant smell, their vision went blurry and they felt dizzy. "Wh-What the…?" Zale's voice strained to speak as his free hand held his head; he then dropped to his knees. "Sh-Shit…I'm losing motor coordination…" Shine growled in an equally strained voice, finding it a battle to stay on his feet.

The vindictive and triumphant laughter of the sextet echoed through the gas as they surround Zale and Shine in a triangular formation. "Scary, huh?" Samantha said, smirking, "Modiero Ferodon is for naughty and disrespectful boys like you two. Once you inhale the scent, your senses will act up. In other words, we can watch you two struggle as entertainment or finish in your pathetically weak state."

As the girls chortled once more, they failed to realize they had said the magic word. "Did you just…call us weak?" The males said in icily calm voice. The girls instantly stopped laughing. Even they could recognize when something sounded off. "Y-Yeah, what about it?" Phoebe responded.

"We hate weakness…weakness is _EVIL_!" Zale and Shine said in rage. The sextet of females paled instantly as they saw that the two were seething with anger, manifested as malignant auras of dark purple and dark red. "You should've kept…your damn mouth shut," Shine rasped as he mustered enough power his body could in this accursed gas, "I will not…allow weaklings like you people look down on me! I already accepted one recent defeat, but for the better. Something like that will never again for as long as I battle!"

Zale grinned as he said in agreement, "You're right, Shine…the battle against Zatch Bell, Kiyo Takamine, Angelica Tsukoro, and E…getting beat by them is only allowable mistake we'll make…because we learned from that experience, and we have _already _grown stronger!" Despite the gaseous ailment around them, Zale and Shine stayed on their feet defiantly.

"Bah! You guys are getting on my nerves!" Vini said as he held out her hands, "Thoria! Phoebe! Let's finish these guys off with our most powerful spells!" The two nodded and also extended their hands as all three spellbook began glowing radiantly.

"Well, we've gotten this far…now what?" Zale asked his partner. After all, due to the gas, his keen and effective eyesight was on the fritz. He couldn't anything but blurs in his field of vision, and his other senses were acting up as well. "H-How should I know?" Shine responded, "You're the smart one…"

"All of three of them are around you in a triangle. You're in the middle."

Shine's and Zale's eyes widened in shock. They did not have to see or turn around to know who the nearby voice of the person belonged to. "Lori?" Zale said in disbelief. "Are you crazy? What are you doing here?" Shine questioned. Definitely, Lori was the one assisting them and she was right between the two males. "I got concerned when this red mist appeared," she answered, "I guess…I just jumped in recklessly."

"How are you…not affected by it?" Zale questioned.

"That I don't know." Lori answered honestly.

"Whatever!" Shine asserted rudely, "Listen, Lori. Point out the directions where these harpies are so I can blast them back to Hell. We're gonna use you from until this gas is gone." Not all affected by Shine's assertiveness, Lori responded smilingly, "Sure! I'd be glad to help! After all, if Zatch and Kiyo were able to help you two, I feel obligated to help as well!"

"_Just how far has your influence spread, Zatch Bell and Kiyo Takamine?" _(Zale)

"_Companions, huh? Hmm…" _(Shine)

"Thirusu Raja Jigano." Cassandra, Amanda, and Samantha called out in unison. The hands of Thoria, Vini, and Phoebe glowed as they simultaneously released giant, explosive flower buds. "It's coming from all around us!" Lori informed the two males.

"Ganjasu Orudiamzu."

Suddenly, Shine, Zale, and Lori were encased by a large crown of diamond spikes. The spell was powerful enough to block the Thirusu Raja Jigano. To add insult to injury, rows of rising diamond stalagmites were heading straight to the girls.

"What? Not only did they block it, but they retaliated?" Phoebe exclaimed in disbelief. "They shouldn't be doing that in these conditions!" Samantha shouted. "Look out!" Vini yelled as she grabbed her bookkeeper and began avoiding the diamond spikes; the rest followed suit.

Zale stopped casting Ganjasu Orudiamzu as its purpose was to block the attack rather than attack. "All right, Lori, where are they?" Shine requested, panting heavily. "Well, there is something you guys need to know," Lori said, "There are three giant roses around here that is releasing this gas. Maybe if you destroy them, this spell will be canceled."

"Hurry and tell us where they are," Zale pleaded, covering his nose and mouth with his free hand, "I can only keep this up for so long due to the gas." Lori nodded understandingly as she quickly looked around to spot the three roses again, so she could accurately tell of them their whereabouts. "They're…Oh! Southwest, north, and east!" She directed.

"It looks like someone stayed behind to help them." Vini pointed out, glaring at Lori from afar. "Take her down with those two; simple as that." Amanda said. The three spellbooks glowed in unison as they each recite the next spell.

"Gigano Juron!"

"Baagusu Thorsen!"

"Raja Ferozuga!"

An immensely large vine and rose came out from underground while a rain of multiple thorny projectiles were summoned. "Three spells are coming!" Lori exclaimed. "Don't make me laugh!" Shine taunted his enemies after hearing that, "Coverage spell, Zale!"

"Ariza Diamzen."

Quickly, Shine raised his hand and shot a white lightning bolt into the skies above him. An aurora appeared immediately. Before the vine got a chance to aggressively smack the three, raining diamond stalactites chop it to pieces. The rose was charging a pinkish beam but it too suffered the same feat before it discharged. The barrage of thorny projectiles were waned slightly but some still survived and continued their course for Zale and Shine

"Hurry! You guys need a defense spell!" Lori alerted.

"Diamzu Shield." A dark blue, diamond hexagram immediately appeared before them, blocking the rest of the thorny projectiles provided by Baagusu Thorsen.

"Aw come on! They cannot be that good!" Thoria shouted outrageously. Suddenly, the red mist began to dissipate, much to the shock of everyone except Zale and Shine. When it fully disappeared, it was revealed that three diamond stalactites hit the targeted roses.

Taking three deep breaths, the residual red gas exited from Zale and Shine's mouths. They regained their proper motor coordination and usage of senses. Zale fell to one knee, the strain of the arduous task catching up to him, still panting. Shine was in equal condition but continued to stand up.

"Are you two okay?" Lori kneeled down, checking on the condition of the two. "We'll be fine." Zale answered as he locked onto the flabbergasted enemies hungrily, "Although…I'm pissed off now. I am finished with these girls." Shine extended his arms out as he requested, "Strongest spell."

"Girls, I'm afraid we'll have to go all-out now." Samantha said as her Persian pink spellbook glowed vigorously. "The strongest spell." Cassandra said as her celadon spellbook glowed just as brightly. "Yes." Amanda's phthalo green spellbook followed suit.

"Thirusu Dio Jigano!" Thoria, Vini, and Phoebe all extended out their arms again and fire giant flower buds. Unlike last time, these flower buds bloomed beautifully to reveal three goddess-like figures.

"Pretty." Zale commented. He opened the blizzard blue spellbook as he inputted the last of his strength into this last spell, "But let me show you something better. Dioga Diamzu!" Both of Shine's hands were enveloped in whitish-blue light and released the powerful, blue diamond Griffin from it.

The most powerful spells from both sides collided, lighting up the battlefield considerably. However, the clash of power only lasted for so long. Dioga Diamzu was just stronger than Thirusu Dio Jigano, and that showed when the diamond Griffin tore through the trio of flower goddesses some seconds after starting. The sextet girls could only gasp; everything else afterward happened so quickly.

Soon, the end of the battle had come. Dioga Diamzu and Thirusu Dio Jigano had disappeared, three spellbooks were on the ground burning, and the ring-shaped citadel of thorns and vines were disappearing. "That took longer than I wanted." Zale groused as he closed the blizzard blue spellbook and put back in his vest. "You're telling me." Shine said, apathetically watching Vini, Thoria, and Phoebe disappearing and sharing their last tearful words with their respective bookkeepers.

"Wow…You two are strong." Lori commented in awe. Momentarily, Zale and Shine had forgotten she was still there. "No other status suits us." The anthropomorphic porcupine said, crossing his arms. When Vini, Thoria, and Phoebe finally disappeared, returning to the Mamodo World, Zale spoke, "Stay here, you two. I need to straighten these girls out." He started approaching them as Lori questioned, "W-Wait, Zale! You already won the battle! What more can you do?"

"They said they were doing this whole ransom thing in order to fend for themselves. Their father walked out of their lives and forced their mother with them. All they had was themselves and their Mamodo. Now that they're gone, something must be said." Zale explained. Predictably, him approaching Cassandra, Amanda, and Samantha almost seemed like a slap to the face.

Zale began, "So what do you three plan on—" But was quickly interrupted as the three girls verbally bombarded him. "What do you mean? It's over for us! The police are gonna arrest for this mess!" Cassandra cried out. "We don't know even know why you're offering us your pity! You don't even care about us!" Amanda yelled. "You and Mamodo took away our three companions…We'll never get them back! They helped us get money, through any means necessary, so we could make ends meet! Now, that they're gone, we're through! Nothing is ever going to cha—"

"SHUT UP AND LET ME SPEAK!"

Cassandra, Amanda, and Samantha immediately silenced themselves, huddling together fearfully. Zale was using his infamous glare on the three, and the dark purple aura was about him yet again. It was also worthy to note that was one of the few times Zale spoke out like that. Apparently, he had enough.

Clearing his throat to regain his usual demeanor, Zale then went on to say, "You three are sisters, correct? That means you're family and you will always stick out for each other. So, why not transition that loyalty to getting jobs or something in order to provide for yourselves? You don't need Mamodo or bribery to get what you want. All you need…" It was then Zale pointed to his heart, "is this…and everything that comes with it. With it, you will get what you need the _right_ way and no obstacle will stand in your way. Oh, and another thing. Some girl once told me that change is not a punishment but a reality; it's how we interpret change that dictates its effects on us."

Letting his words of wisdoms hang in the air for the sisters to ruminate on, Zale turned his back to them and walked back to Lori and Shine, with the latter saying: "Zale, not even a rose garden compares to the beauty of those words."

* * *

><p>"Odds are we can't really show our faces in Mochinoki City anytime soon." Shine remarked as he and Zale exited city limits, finally heading on in their journey. "Oh well. Not that it matters." Zale stated, "What are they going to do? Issue a warrant for our arrest?" Shine snickered, "They can't. You're Swedish; not Japanese." Zale succinctly replied, grinning, "Exactly."<p>

"Zale! Shine!"

The two males stopped walking and turned around to see it was none other than Lori approaching them. "Didn't we already say goodbye and thank you already?" Shine asserted. Lori caught to them hunched over and hands on her knees, panting. "I…forgot to give you guys these." She spoke after catching enough of her breath. She handed Shine a sort of wristband with two hand-crafted flowers; Zale was given a necklace with triangular pendant with each corner taken by hand-crafted flowers.

Shine held up the wristband with mixed emotions as he eyed, "What's this?" Zale was in an equally disconcerted state as he held the necklace in his hand.

"They're handicrafts I made for you two. They have flowers on them, but I purposely made them dark-colored to match your styles. On Shine's wristband, he has the Hydrangea, which symbolizes boastfulness, and the Magnolia, which symbolizes perseverance."

"I'll let that 'boastfulness' comment slide for today only." Shine said warningly, though with no actual meaning, as he slipped on the wristband. He then contemplated on purchasing gloves so that he could protect the handiwork. Lori giggled before continuing, "And on your necklace Zale, you have the Camellia, the Heliotrope, and the Daffodil. In that order, the symbolize gratitude, devotion, and regard."

"Hm. Thanks." Zale thanked as he put on the necklace, right beside the one Myriam gave him. "You guys coming back soon?" Lori asked hopefully. "Maybe. After all, unlike you now, we're still in the battle to decide King," Zale answered as he looked at the Millennium Mamodo beside him, "And I need to make Shine that King."

"Just be careful. There are many more powerful Mamodo out there." Lori cautioned with a smile. "Pft. Nothing I can't handle." Shine stated as he turned around and began walking away. "And you wonder why you have the flower of boastfulness." Zale said, chuckling a little as he followed his Mamodo.

"Bye, you two! Stay safe!" Lori said, waving at them as they left. They did not respond, but they did raise their hands up in a parting manner as they headed to wherever their next encounter was destined to be.


	14. Chapter 14: Strongest vs Strongest

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru. Izo Uramori, Myriam Schwazden, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, Shine, Zale Schwazden, Thoria, Cassandra, Vini, Amanda, Phoebe, and Samantha.

**Chapter 14: Strongest vs. Strongest **

Shine adjusted the fingerless, white gloves he recently purchased from a town he and his partner just left. "There. Now, the thing won't get broken when I'm in battle." The white-furred Mamodo said. "By the way, Shine," Zale spoke, walking beside him and leafing through the pages of the blizzard blue spellbook, "I don't know how I didn't notice this before…but it seems we got a new spell."

Shine looked at the black-haired eighteen-year-old with a raised eyebrow, "Seriously? We'll have to see what it does later." Zale nodded as he placed the spellbook back inside his vest, "Yes, indeed. For now, let's just keep heading to Tokyo." Shine simply "hmph-ed" to this.

That said, the two soundlessly continued their excursions. They spoke not a word for the last couple of minutes as they walked across a partially open plain with large trees around them. "We're going to be there shortly." Zale announced, checking the electronic map on his cell phone and putting it away. No response from Shine whatsoever, and Zale took note of that. "You're quieter than usual…." He said guardedly, "What do you sense?"

"Get on your guard." Shine snarled defensively, "A strong enemy actually worth my time is around."

"Really now?" Zale replied in actually interested tone, "They're that strong?"

"You better believe it."

Zale and Shine slowly stopped walking when they heard that authoritative raspy voice. So, they were found that quickly. No matter. The two turned to face their opponents. "And who might you two be?" Zale questioned, taking out the blizzard blue spellbook from inside his vest. Standing from them equidistantly was a blonde girl wearing an expensive, stylish white dress and a teenage, dark Mamodo. "That depends," the girl spoke clutching the black spellbook in her right hand and her staff in the other, "Will you be around for the next couple of seconds?"

Out of nowhere, the black spellbook glowed radiantly as the blonde girl yelled, "Gigano Reis!" The dark Mamodo extended his deathly grey arm and hand and unleashed a large, purple sphere made entirely from gravitational pressure. Zale and Shine narrowed their eyes and sprung into action; however, the resulting explosion enshrouded such.

"Well, that was a disappointment." The dark Mamodo spoke in a raspy tone, dropping his arm. "So it seems, Brago," the blonde bookkeeper said as the glow died away, "Now there's just the matter of burning that book."

"Brago, huh?"

Brago and his blonde bookkeeper whipped to the direction of the voices. Zale was leaning against the trunk of a tree while Shine was sitting casually on the branch above. "Heh. So you're the Mamodo I've been sensing since we got here." The Millennium Mamodo stated as he jumped off the branch and landed on his feet. "Speedy, huh?" Brago pointed out, "That I guess you're that Mamodo we've been sensing as well."

"Now, let me repeat myself this one last time," Zale articulated austerely, "What are your names? Well, we know the Mamodo's now." The blonde bookkeeper introduced herself, the tense wind causing her ringlets to flow slightly, "Sherry. Sherry Belmont."

Suddenly, the closed blizzard blue spellbook in Zale's arm glowed brightly as he said, "Pleasure to meet you. The name's Zale Schwazden and my Mamodo is Shine. Diamzu." Shine held up his hand and discharged a large shard of diamond toward Brago. "Gravirei!" Brago held out his hand again and summoned a gravitational field around the approaching Diamzu. Though it took time, and almost made its way to him, the Gravirei successfully grounded the powerful shard of diamond. The gravitational field disappeared along with the diamond a second afterward.

"Not bad!" Shine roared as he used his speed to appear in front of Brago and attempt an axe kick. Brago raised his left arm and blocked the kick with loud sound echoing from the impact. "Not bad yourself," Brago complimented, but the emotionless tone he used said otherwise, "But you've left yourself wide open." To prove his point, his free hand was currently aimed at the white Mamodo.

"Reis!"

"Diamonruk."

Brago's hand fired a small sphere of purple gravity, but thanks to Zale's quick reaction, Shine's blind-spot was encased with a layer of diamond to protect it. "What?" Brago exclaimed as Shine used Brago's other arm to propel himself away and create distance. With a guttural roar, Shine dashes straight for Brago again and threw a powerful punch. "Don't make me laugh!" Brago caught that fist of Shine's with one hand , almost effortlessly, as he skidded back only mere inches. "_This_ is a punch!" But to his surprise, Shine was just as strong, given by the fact he caught Brago's punch with just as much ease.

"Gee. I almost cracked up." Shine said cockily, grinning a little. "Hmph. This might actually be fun." Brago rasped, smirking as he showed off his sharp teeth. "That's _my _line!" Shine roared, showing off his serrated, feral teeth.

"Rior Reis!" Sherry recited the spell, the black book glowing fiercely. "Shine, the spell is coming out of both of his hands." Zale informed his Mamodo partner. Instantly, Shine jumped away and performed numerous back-flips as two green energy beams came out from both of Brago's hands. Eventually, Shine propelled himself into the air so that the Rior Reis could miss him. Sherry eyed Zale from the corner of her blue eyes as she thought, _"Huh…Before Brago even discharged his spell, Zale knew exactly what was about to happen. There was so little time between me reading the spell and Brago actually using it…"_

"Ganzu Diamzu." Shine, who was still in the air, extended out both hands and summoned released multiple shards of diamond that headed toward Brago at high speeds. "Ion Gravirei!" Brago's small red eyes disappeared into the whites of his eyes, signaling his level of fury, as held up his hand again, launching a destructive beam of gravity that instantly grounded the diamond shards from Ganzu Diamzu.

"Tch!" Shine sneered as he landed on the ground. "Now you're mine!" Brago dashed forth and delivered a series of rapid punches; however, Shine was currently dodging the strikes with marginally better speed, laughing cruelly as he taunted, "What's the matter, Fluffy? You're kinda slow!" Brago growled loudly, "Hold still and let me break you in half!"

The Millennium Mamodo sneered as jumped back to create distance as Brago hammered a fist on the ground, causing cracks in it. "It seems our size difference is coming into play," Shine spoke, "I'm roughly the size of a child, like most humanoid Mamodo in this battle, and you're obviously well into your teens. Our speeds are evenly matched, but my compact size gives me an advantage."

"Keep talking, Shine!" Brago dashed for Shine and proceeded to attack again. Shine's face furrowed in concentration, trying to time to his dodge correctly in order to justify his statement. Brago thrust his hand forward, trying to grab Shine's face, but the anthropomorphic porcupine dodged it. Quickly however, the gravity-wielding Mamodo tried to retaliate by performing by spin kick, but Shine used his speed to appear in the air above him. "Too bad, Fluffy!" Shine taunted and did an axe kick. To his surprise, Brago caught his leg.

"My name isn't Fluffy." Brago retorted in a surprisingly calm voice. Shine's eyes dilated but then widened immensely when Brago slammed him into the ground with bone-crushing force.

"And he's not finished yet!" Sherry declared as the black book continued to glow, "Bidom Gravirei!" Suddenly, a more powerful Gravirei pressed Shine onto the ground hard, creating small fissures. The anthropomorphic porcupine gritted his teeth in pain as the intense gravitational field induced pain. "Heh. Now you can't get away." Brago declared, smirking.

"Your gravitational powers are indeed crippling, Sherry and Brago," Zale said tonelessly as the two in question looked at him while frowning, "Indeed, Shine and I have yet to encounter a foe like you two…but that does not mean we didn't prepare for the worst case scenario." After saying that, the blizzard blue spellbook glowed once again, "Go Diamonruk."

In the blink of an eye, Shine assumed a feral transformation that involved diamond armor gracing his entire body and adding feral, ferocious features to him. Thanks to that transformation spell, Shine was able to work against the Bidom Gravirei and drive his left-hand claws into Brago's body.

Brago gritted his teeth, his red eyes disappearing into the white sclera, and forcibly pulled out Shine's claws and jumped back. "Sherry!" The fourteen-year-old Mamodo exclaimed. "Oruga Reis!" Sherry shouted. Brago then fired a spiraling beam of purple gravitational energy toward the Go Diamonruk-enhanced Shine. He was encompassed by the powerful attack but emerged afterward with only cracks in his armor.

Surprised but steadfast, Brago swiftly jumped back to dodge a swing of his sharp claws. He released a hiss of pain as he skidded back towards to Sherry, a slash mark on his chest bleeding slightly. "I don't say this to many Mamodo," Shine said as Brago's blood dripped off his claws, "You've got some pretty interesting spells there."

"Too bad I won't reciprocate that praise." Brago retorted as Sherry eyed Zale, who was repositioning himself to be behind Shine, carefully.

"I'm not the one bleeding now, am I?" Shine responded sharply. Brago growled as he darted to the Millennium Mamodo, "You will in a minute!" Both bookkeepers decided to let the Mamodo duke it out in old-fashioned hand to hand combat; although, they were keeping a close eye on each other (Sherry more so than Zale).

Brago threw a powerful fist at Shine who blocked it with his right arm. Shine proceeded to try and swipe at Brago again with those claws again, but the gravity-wielding Mamodo jumped over the slash and brutally kicked the Go Diamonruk-induced Shine in the face. "Come on! Is that all you got?" Shine vociferated after skidding back, then rushing for Brago again. "You're the one using a spell. Coward." Brago taunted as he prepared to be on the defensive.

"And you're dumb enough to just let me." Shine rejoined as he kicked with great force. Brago counterattacked with a mighty punch. The force from both attacks caused small splotches of blood to leak out of Brago's arm and Shine's diamond-encased leg. "That just shows how inferior you are," Brago replied, ignoring the pain expertly and believably, "You have to rely on the use of a spell to take me on. I must be that strong."

"Shine, don't let Fluffy there psyche you out." Zale spoke nonchalantly.

"What did you just call me?" Brago growled suddenly, not at all taking Zale's insult lightly. "Your guard's open!" Shine exclaimed, pulling back his leg and ramming his skull into Brago's gut. "GUAH!" The dark Mamodo grunted as he was knocked into a tree. Shine snickered, "Fluffy. What a nice nickname you came up with, Zale." The black-haired male shrugged his shoulders, "If you say so. By the way, I'm going to stop casting Go Diamonruk so I can either conserve Heart Energy or use different spells."

Shine nodded understandingly as his diamond armor disappeared in a flash of white. "Now, Brago!" Sherry suddenly yelled as a shadow was casted over the diamond-wielding Mamodo. Shine looked up to see Brago above him with glowing red eyes of fury and his hand outstretched yet again. _"I think I know what's coming next," _Zale thought, _"But, unfortunately, Shine is going to have to accept this attack, and I'll hope he can counter immediately after it."_

"BABER GRAVIDON!"

Trees were flung into air and a huge crater was the result of a sudden implosion. Zale and Sherry stood on opposite ends of the crater as Brago landed adjacently to the smoking center of the crater. Slowly, a figure rose inside the smoke, slowly subsiding to reveal an injured Shine. "Sh-Shit…" He cursed through gritted teeth, blood straining parts of his pale white fur.

"You should be crushed to death from that spell." Brago rasped pointedly. Shine's response was this: him quickly outstretching his arms with the palms connected. "Raja Diamzuga." Zale recited, the still closed blizzard blue spellbook glowing once more. Both of Shine's arms crystallized into a large diamond cannon and fired a powerful aurora beam. Brago put his hands up to defend himself as the burst of explosive white caused an explosion.

Sherry fell to the ground from the shockwave of the impact; however, she did not care about herself, given by her exclamation: "Brago!" From the smoke and dust cleared, Brago was revealed to be standing in front of the fallen Sherry, his black fur cloak smoldering and fresh wounds covering his body.

"You let your guard down. Both of you." Zale chastised from his side of the battlefield, "As powerful as you are, underestimation can be a team's downfall." Brago snarled darkly, his ire rising, "That mouth on that human…It pisses me off!"

Shine suddenly appeared in front of Brago, a ferocious and dark look in his eyes, as he stated, "That human has a name, Fluffy." Both Mamodo attacked at the same time, Shine with a roaring kick and Brago with a mighty punch. As the two powerful Mamodo exchanged blows, they were slowly but surely moving away from the crater they had formed to another suitable spot—they would later be scarred by them and their, of course.

Pretty soon, both teams relocated to a more open area—a grassy plain completely devoid of trees, shrubbery, or anything else that can and will be destroyed in the fight. Shine and Brago will still engaged in physical fighting. They were, needless to say, beating the crap out of each other.

"Don't let that animal push you around like that, Brago!" Sherry demanded encouragingly. "That animal has a name, Ringlets." Zale reminded her sharply. Tearing her attention from the fight, Sherry turned to glare at the walking Swedish male, "Well, aren't you the humorous one?"

"I can be." Zale responded simply. Sherry gritted her teeth as she clenched her staff in frustration, "Now I see why Brago got so aggravated with you and Shine." Zale took note of Sherry's reactions and replied dryly, "Apparently, now are you. "

"Sherry!" Brago shouted as he jumped away to avoid a groundbreaking elbow from Shine. The French blonde thought the dark Mamodo was demanding another spell to be casted, but he continued, "Get that book away from Zale! We need to burn it!"

"Getting desperate, aren't we?" Shine said as he rushed toward Brago, "Don't even think for a second that Zale is defenseless!" Brago suddenly grabbed Shine by his face and kneed him harshly in the gut, "Sherry isn't a weakling either for a human!" The Millennium Mamodo was knocked as splotches of blood flew out of his mouth.

Sherry held up her staff, capped out by a sharp emerald mace, as she told her opponent, "Don't underestimate me because I'm a woman, Zale." He only stared at her expressionlessly, "And if I do?" The blonde woman narrowed her blue eyes dangerously as she suddenly swung her staff, releasing the hidden whip the emerald mace was attached to at Zale, "Then you'll get hurt!"

Unfaltering, the tantō slipped out of his right sleeve and into his hand. He then parried that mace with his sword, causing Sherry to retract it back. "You're more than welcome to try, Ringlets," Zale challenged, "But you will see that I'm no pushover myself."

"Got you now!" Shine shouted as he attempted to drive Brago into the ground hard with a double-footed stomp. Unfortunately for him, Brago swiftly jumped over Shine to avoid the attack and positioned himself above him. _"Shoot! My blind-spot is open again!" _The Millennium Mamodo thought in distress.

Zale noticed this from the corner of his eyes, _"Oh dear. Shine's gone and screwed up again." _He thought as the blizzard blue spellbook glowed again. However, the spell went unsaid as Sherry flung her mace into Zale's head. "Don't think so!" She exclaimed and retracted her mace again. Because of that, Brago returned the favor by driving a harsh elbow into Shine's spine—but later gritted his teeth in pain as the spines pierced his flesh.

Zale glared at Sherry fiercely, a stream of blood running down the side of his face from the attack. "You are going to pay for that, Sherry." He said in an unnervingly calm voice, his glare beginning to manifest as a dark purple aura around him. The blonde eighteen-year-old countered with a forceful glare of her own, "Try me, Zale."

Brago stomped his foot on the fallen Shine, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Giving up already? You're not going unconscious on me, are you?" He mocked harshly before adding, "Then again, I want you to." Shine opened his eyes halfway and gave Brago one of his infamous death glares, "Kiss my ass, Fluffy." Brago, only momentarily surprised, growled irefully at that snarky response.

Zale was keeping his distance, meticulously planning when to close the distance and strike Sherry. He was also making sure she wouldn't knock the spellbook out of his arm. It was just that blasted mace was too versatile. It was almost like an extension if Sherry's arms and legs and she using swinging it in a variety of different ways—curvilinear, straightforward, diagonally, you name it. Thankfully, because of his keen eyes, Zale was able to accurately find the weak point in Sherry's swings and dodge or block them accordingly.

"What's the matter? Can't get closer than that?" Sherry taunted, retracting the mace once more. Instantly, Zale began rushing for the French blonde. "Bad move." She commented and cracked her mace like a whip. To her surprise, Zale sidestepped the maneuver—as if he had experience with that particular movement—and closed the gap between him and Sherry. "Not so bad now, is it?" He said and abruptly slashed her abdominal area with his tantō.

Sherry gritted her teeth in pain and staggered backwards, blood beginning to stain her white dress. "I hope you can replace that expensive dress of yours." Zale said tonelessly, "Then again, you wouldn't be fighting in it if you couldn't." Sherry glared as she responded, "Don't worry about that." Brago looked over his shoulder to see how his bookkeeper was holding up. He gritted his teeth when he saw Sherry get slashed by Zale's tantō. "That stupid girl. Can't even handle that human."

In a heartbeat, Zale and Shine locked eyes at each other from the corner of their eyes. Now, they were using their infamous ocular communication. Their glares transmitted their thoughts and plans. Now, they sprung into action.

"Didn't I say he had a name, asshole?" Shine reprimanded as he suddenly gripped Brago's leg tautly. Brago tied to rip away his leg from the diamond-wielding Mamodo's iron grip, but it was difficult.

Zale was charging at Sherry once again. _"If I'm correct, based on what I've seen and what Shine has taught me…she will do…" _With a yell, Sherry released her emerald mace from her staff and aimed it downward. _"Exactly that."_ He suddenly sidestepped the weapon again and quickly grabbed hold of it. With a forceful thug, Sherry staggered in Zale's direction, eyes widening in disbelief. Wordlessly, Zale stepped behind her and slashed at her back.

"AHH!" Sherry screamed, falling her to her knees from the pain. "Sherry!" Brago exclaimed, taking his attention away from Shine. Zale and Shine smirked—this was all going according to plan. All that heartache and turmoil they put each other through in training when they first met paid off; Shine using many metallic weapons and beating Zale up to toughen up his body and sharpen his eyes (mainly his most powerful one of sight), and Zale strategically adjusting Shine to reacting simply through a look or a one-word command.

"Diamzuga." Zale recited the spell in a low, but dark tone. The hand that gripped Brago's leg turned into a small diamond cannon before releasing an aurora blast that knocked Brago away. "Brago!" Sherry exclaimed, ignoring the agonizing pain as she stood back onto her feet.

"Still…have some…fight left in you, huh?" Brago questioned in between pants as he rose defiantly back to his feet. Shine painstakingly rose as well, responding, "Of course…I'm going to be King in the end…I need to defeat strong enemies like you."

"I second that notion." Brago replied, "But I'm afraid _I_ am the who is going to be King in the end. Got that?"

"Then, we might as well settle it all here." Shine suggested as he looked at Zale, "Zale, stop fooling around with Ringlets! Cast a spell!" Brago followed Shine's example as he barked his orders, "Sherry! You too!" The two humans, unfortunately, had to end their short altercation and resume their duties as bookkeepers.

"Ganjasu Orudiamzu!"

"Ion Gravirei!"

A crown of diamonds surrounded Shine as three rows of rising diamond stalagmites. Brago summoned a massive gravitational field around that, causing the stalactites to slowly recede back into the ground. "Looks like your diamonds won't be reaching us anytime soon!" Sherry objected. "Don't worry your pretty little head about that." Zale replied tonelessly. She narrowed his eyes, _"He's got something planned. I just know it."_

Ganjasu Orudiamzu was canceled out as Shine jumped away, barely getting out of Ion Gravirei's reach. He landed conveniently beside his Swedish bookkeeper. Kneeling down, Zale whispered his ear, "Have you noticed that, even though our spells are grounded by their gravity, they are not crushed altogether?" Shine smirked ferociously as he responded, "Yeah, I did. You thinking about using a coverage spell that _wants _to go down?" Zale smirked, "Precisely."

"I don't like the looks on their faces." Brago stated guardedly as proceeded to dash for the two, "Sherry, now!" The French woman recited the next spell, the black spellbook glowing powerfully, "Baber Gravidon!"

"Zale, do it!" Shine shouted as he outstretched an arm to the sky. For the first time since the battle begun, Zale opened up the blizzard blue spellbook, "Ariza Diamzen."

Shine released a stream of energy into the sky and created a white, blue, and red aurora that covered a good portion of the ceiling. Then, heavy diamond stalactites began falling from the aurora and to the ground. Unfortunately for Sherry and Brago, their powerful Baber Gravidon actually increased the falling speed of Ariza Diamzen. "What?" Brago exclaimed in surprise but then yelled in pain when the stalactites exploded on the ground around them.

Sherry gritted her teeth and forced herself stop casting the spell. _"So they decided to use a spell that works with gravity." _Zale spoke, "Glad you figured it out, but I haven't stopped casting the spell."

"Brago, get up and raise your hand toward that aurora!" Sherry ordered. Brago, shedding his war-torn fur cloak, extended an arm toward the aurora and the stalactites threatening to drop on him. "Oruga Reis!" From Brago's hand, a spiraling beam of purple gravitational energy was shot out. The Oruga Reis was powerful enough to blast through some of the stalactites and reach the aurora. It immediately dissipated into nothingness. "She's pretty smart herself." Shine commented. "Yeah, but then again, we seem to have rotten luck nowadays with strong opponents." Zale said as he stood back on his feet.

"Zale." Shine said sternly, "Remember when you told me we had new spell?"

"What about it?"

"Read it." Shine ordered, not taking his eyes off Brago who seemed to be waiting for them to make the next move. "Careful, Shine," Zale said warningly, "I'm not exactly a proponent of using new spells in a battle. If its effects are undesirable, we could be finished off." Shine closed his emerald green eyes, "Even so…we need an edge in this," he reopened them as they glinted with dogged determination, "Besides, I'm not ready to use my strongest spell; they don't deserve it yet."

Zale flipped pages in the blizzard blue spellbook until the new spell came up, "As you wish. Just be ready." The book glowed a bright white color as Shine held out his hands. "Here they come." Brago alerted his bookkeeper. "That's fine," Sherry said as she too went to a different page, "We have a new spell we need to try out an actual team anyway!"

"Arizan Diamonugu!"

"Diborudo Jii Gravidon!"

Shine's hands glowed white as another aurora was summoned into the sky. Only this time, specks of snowy white began cascading down. "That's it?" Shine remarked in an unimpressed tone. "Can't be." Zale stated matter-of-factly and waited for their opponent's spell.

A double-layered gravitational sphere was spontaneously produced. The outer sphere was grayish in color, like Brago's skin, and the multiple inner spheres were pitch-black. Its effects were recognized immediately—the harsh gravitational pull was drawing Shine closer and closer and sucking up the specks of white falling from the aurora.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Shine yelled, trying to stand his ground but was being forced closer to the gargantuan sphere. "Hmph," Brago smirked as his outstretched hands glowed purple, "So it seems your last regret will be not trying out your new spells outside of battle."

"BRAGO!"

Brago was instantly alarmed by Sherry's distressed yell and turned around to see Sherry's legs and the upper half of her arm were crystallizing. "What the?" He shouted and then looked to see he was experiencing the same crystallization process as well, "What is the meaning of this?"

"You're turning into a diamond…" Shine notified in a mystified tone. Of course, he did not know this was going to happen himself. "I see," Zale spoke, his sharp red eyes drinking in all the information from the sights he was seeing, "Arizan Diamonugu casts a shower of diamond snowflakes from that aurora. Anything it touches crystallizes, slowly turning into a diamond figurine." He then pointed at a particular object, "And I mean anything."

Sherry and Brago looked to see that Diborudo Jii Gravidon too was beginning to crystallize, inside and out. Apparently, its gravitational field had sucked up a large amount of the diamond snowflakes and the aurora itself. Shine laughed boisterously, "It seems _your _last regret will be meeting me and being our test dummies for our newest spell!"

"You damned animal!" Brago roared, eyes glowing red and a maliciously grayish-purple aura about him. "Suck it, Fluffy!" Shine roared back, emeralds eyes glinting ferociously as a dark red aura encompassed his bloodied body.

Out of nowhere, the crystallization process ceased. Shine immediately stopped his victorious laughter and saw that the aurora was gone. Zale himself was unable to register this phenomenon. "…What the hell?" They muttered in wonder. "Now who's underestimating us?" Sherry spoke heatedly, "Our spell….was strong enough to suck up all of your little parlor trick."

"Heh. Now who's laughing, punk?" Brago taunted, breaking out of the weakened diamonds on his body. Sherry did the same thing, now glad to have her movement back. The completely crystallized Diborudo Jii Gravidon broke apart and fell to the ground in heavy slabs.

"…One last spell." Shine said with an expressionless face.

"The strongest one." Brago stated, outstretching his arm.

Sherry and Zale complied to their Mamodo's demands. Their respective black and blizzard blue spellbook produced intense radiation as the humans poured their remaining heart energy into it.

"Brago, why do you want to become King?" Shine inquired as his hands began to glow. "Being a strong and powerful king suits no one else but me!" Brago replied as intense gravity convened in his hand. "And I swore to Brago that I would make Brago king even if my life depended on it!" Sherry articulated doggedly, her emotions amplifying the light of the black book. "And you, Shine?" Brago reciprocated the question.

"Believe it or not, I'm actually one of the Mamodo from one thousand years," Shine explained, "But…I was screwed out of my chance to become King in an impossibly horrible way. My bookkeeper gave up on me in the most important battle one thousand years ago and Goren turned me into stone for it. My reason to be King back then may no longer be valid, but…I want to make sure! Even if that is the case, then I'll just be a King that respects everyone's wishes!" Zale added in firmly, "Don't give us any of that talk about not being involved in a present-day matter either. I'm sure destiny wanted this to happen to Shine and I if we managed this far."

"Fine then. We won't." Brago said, "However, your book is about to be burned anyway! Sherry!"

"Zale!"

"DO IT!"

"DIOGA GRAVIDON!"

"DIOGA DIAMZU!"

From Brago's hand, a gigantic purple sphere of gravity with multicolored beams swirling around it was unleashed. From Shine's hands, a blue diamond Griffon sore into the skies. The two Dioga-class spells from the supposedly strongest Mamodo in the current fight and the strongest from one thousand years ago had met.

* * *

><p>"You won't be able to use this shoulder for awhile."<p>

Inside lodging in a town right outside of the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan, Zale had finished placing Shine's right arm and shoulder in a sling. It had been 2 hours since their battle with Sherry and Brago, and it had ended in a tie after their most powerful spells clashed.

"Of course, your Mamodo blood might make it heal faster than I think," Zale conjectured, starting to remove the wraps around his head, "Plus, I already know you're going to fight even with one arm." Shine grinned ferociously as he remarked, "You know me too well, Zale. Even better that Ringlets didn't cause that much damage to you."

"Can't say the same to you." Zale stated as he threw away the bandages and put on a replacement to his old vest, "You have more injuries than Brago did."

"Hey," Shine objected, "I left him a "remember my name," so you gotta give me some credit!"

Zale chuckled as he placed the blizzard blue spellbook inside his vest, "Even so, for at least three days, let's avoid getting into battles." He began for the door, "Now, let's head into downtown Tokyo. That's out next stop—"

"Zale."

The eighteen-year-old male looked at Shine quizzically, blinking. The injured anthropomorphic porcupine was looking out the window in their lodging at the starry evening sky, leaning against the opposite wall. He had a wistful look on his face, as if he was deciding how to finish this statement. "Let's…just take it easy altogether." He finally said.

Zale blinked some more. That was certainly something uncharacteristic of Shine. He was always on the go, looking for opponents to fight next to try and get closer to become King. He really was changing (for the better, that was).

With a small sigh, Zale dropped his travel bag and plopped onto the bed, smiling thankfully. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear that."

**Author Notes**

The fifteen chapter of the story, and I must say, I like this one the most. Probably because Zale and Shine meet someone their match. This also is the last chapter that is centered around the two. Hope you guys liked it.


	15. Chapter 15: Another Light

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru, Haruko, Izo Uramori, Myriam Schwazden, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, Shine, Zale Schwazden, Thoria, Cassandra, Vini, Amanda, Phoebe, Samantha, Servor, and Jerrod.

**Chapter 15: Another Light**

"WHOO! I win again, baby!"

Curtis was prancing his happy self about his spacious bedroom, a video game controller in his hand. Gretchen was sitting on the end of the bed, deadpanning as she saw her character lying in defeat at the hands of Curtis's, as she mumbled in defeat, "…This game sucks…"

"Naw, you just suck at it!" Curtis objected, plopping onto his bedroom while grinning. "Wanna go again?" He asked. Gretchen gently placed the video game controller beside her as she declined, "Forget it. You're right—I do suck at this game. I need some air."

"Yeah, I'm tired of whupping yo sorry ass at Tekken." Curtis taunted, pulling his right eyelid down while sticking out his tongue. Gretchen's response was her lifting up her hand with all but the middle finger curled down as she walked out the room. Curtis only snickered as he turned off the game and accessed the channels. "Shoot. I forgot the news aired on this channel this time of day," Curtis groused in disinterest, "Oh well. Let's see what else—"

"Onto the next topic: the picture everyone is about to see is not doctored but real."

Upon hearing that, Curtis paused and paid attention to the newscast. Based only on that statement, something already was going down. When the man continued, the image of a monstrously tall tower with what seemed to be ancient civilization perched atop it came up.

"An unknown mountain suddenly appeared within the Resuka Mountain range, or what we believe to be a giant structure."

"Yo, Gretchen! Get in here; hurry!" Curtis called out loudly, hoping his Mamodo partner heard him. "What's up?" Gretchen responded, suddenly beside him. Unfazed, Curtis grabbed Gretchen's head as if he was forcing her to watch the newscast. "Check this out." He said. Gretchen sweat-dropped in annoyance, thinking that there was not much of a choice in the matter, and paid attention herself.

"This was taken by a field cameraman who happened to be at a nearby mountain. However, shortly thereafter, upon return to that exact same location, the structure was no longer there. This had led some to suggest it was a mirage or illusion."

"Why, that doesn't look suspicious." Gretchen commented sarcastically. "I wanna say that Mamodo are involved in this…" Curtis conjectured uncertainly, "But…" Gretchen then stated, "It's pretty obvious it is, but…what exactly is it?" The two stood there, cupping their chins in thought, as they contemplated on the situation.

Just then, they suddenly heard honking from a car horn outside. Putting the matter aside for the moment, Curtis and Gretchen approached the window of Curtis's room that faced directly out to the parking lot outside the terrace. They opened it and looked outside curiously.

"Hey, Curtis! Hope you're ready to go!"

"Hi, Gretchen-neechan!"

In a white sports car, looking at them radiantly was Harumi and a little girl. The little girl was nine-years-old and bore pale blond, curtly, chin-length hair and cerulean eyes. Her attire consisted of a white, bell-sleeved dress with a yellow slightly transparent mantle, and white bell-bottom pants with simple yellow shoes.

"Harumi? Haruko?" Curtis said, blinking in surprise, and then questioned them, "What are you doing here?"

Harumi, who was still wearing her uniform, frowned and crossed her arms, "You mean you forgot? You and Gretchen promised to take us to Megumi's concert!" Curtis thought about it for a second and said bluntly, "I damn sure forgot."

"IDIOT!" Harumi yelled as she, somehow and out of nowhere, chucked a big rock at Curtis's face. Haruko's eyes widened in shock as Gretchen stared on blankly, picking up the rock after it successfully floored Curtis. The seventeen-year-old male shot up from the ground, holding his nose, and shouted, "Why did you do that? Where the hell did you get that rock from anyway?"

"Your mother." Harumi answered brusquely. "…Go screw yo'self while we get dressed." Curtis angrily shut the window as Gretchen laughed wildly.

Curtis and Gretchen got dressed for the outside world and headed off with Harumi and Haruko to Megumi's concert in Tokyo. They two also wore different attires than they did when fighting the Ancient Mamodo. Gretchen's new outfit consisted of a sleeveless, blackish-navy blue kosode with a white undershirt, and blackish-navy blue pants; she kept on her black combat boots. Additionally, she wore black wristbands on each wrist and black, fingerless gloves on each hand. Curtis's new outfit consisted of a green and brown basketball jersey shirt, a grey skull cap, grey sweatpants, and green and black Nike tennis shoes.

Soon enough, they arrived at the sight and, predictably, many people were present on the scene. "Crap. These lines are long." Harumi commented exasperatedly. "Oh, that reminds me." Curtis spoke, him and Gretchen digging into their pockets. Harumi and Haruko looked at them quizzically, only to gasp in shock as the two handed them VIP passes.

"H-How did you two get these?" Harumi interrogated, absolutely shocked. As he hung his own VIP pass around his neck, Curtis answered her, "Oh, me and Megumi go back, girl." That could be considered a half-truth. It wasn't as far as the phrase implied, but everyone after the battle against Ancient Mamodo became close allies and friends. Plus, all it took was one mention and the pop idol was more than willing to oblige.

"That's so cool!" Haruko said cutely as she placed the VIP pass around her neck. "Now, as Curtis would say, let's go look fly." Gretchen stated, hopping out of the roofless sports car while grinning. " 'Ey, you know it, girl!" Curtis replied, matching his Mamodo partner's grin as he exited the car.

Because of their VIP passes, the four entered the building relatively quickly—much to the chagrin of people who were less fortunate than they. They also managed to get front-row seats to the action. "Oh my God; front-row seats to one of Megumi's concerts!" Harumi squealed. Haruko was beaming elatedly at the stage, hoping for it to start. The only reason why Curtis and Gretchen were even there was for Harumi and Haruko. They knew how much they wanted to be at this concert, and they didn't want to delay that wish any longer.

Minutes later, when everyone was settled, the lights began to dim. Immediately, screams from both girls and boys alike rang throughout the building. Curtis and Gretchen covered their ears from the sounds—it didn't help that Harumi and Haruko contributed to them at different degrees.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, here's Megumi!"

The curtains onstage separated and all spotlights shone on the star. "Thank you, everyone, for coming here today! Now, it's on with the show!" Megumi struck a pose; she was wearing an expensive and stylish pink and white dress.

Once Megumi made her appearance, the crowd went even wilder. Curtis and Gretchen shut their eyes and gritted their teeth. They already knew this would be their first and last time to a concert, favor or otherwise. Through all the cacophony, Gretchen's eyes opened as she remembered something. She was prepared for this. Digging into her pocket again, she presented to her bookkeeper a pair of earplugs. Curtis's subsequent grin expressed his thanks as he took them immediately put them into his ears. Gretchen did the same. Now, the two didn't care how much noise everyone made—they couldn't hear it and that was all that mattered.

"Thanks for enjoying the show! I hope I made it your money's worth!" Megumi announced, the microphone in her hand amplifying her voice throughout the stands. With that, the curtains closed to signal another concert well done. Based on the audience's roars, Megumi's hopes were definitely fulfilled.

"Gretchen-neechan, Curtis," Haruko spoke, hopping off her seat and bowing gratefully, "We appreciate your time!" Harumi mimicked the gesture, utterly gracious. As Gretchen ruffled Haruko's hair, Curtis hooked an arm around Harumi, "Aw, don't sweat it. Ya'll my homies." Then, Curtis and Gretchen began directing the two females elsewhere, and it was not to the exit. "But, how 'bout meeting Miss Oomi herself?"

"You're joking." Harumi said with incredulity. Curtis grinned slyly but said nothing as he and his Mamodo partner guided Harumi and Haruko backstage relatively unseen. Not like staff could say anything since they had VIP passes around their necks provided by the pop idol herself. "Wait here fo' a sec." He said, the quartet stopping in front of a door. The ecru-haired proceeded to knock on the door.

"Coming!" was the reply of two female voices on the other side of the door. Two seconds afterward, Tia opened the door—all the way once she saw the familiar faces, "Hey, Curtis! Hey, Gretchen!" She greeted smilingly. "Sup, homegirls?" Curtis reciprocated the greetings, giving Tia a greeting high-five.

"Ah, I see you two took advantage of those VIP passes." Megumi, who was dressed in casual clothing, said, looking at them through the mirror. It was obvious she was getting ready to leave. "I bet'cha also remember why we asked for them in the first place." Curtis continued. Megumi turned completely around in her seat as Tia blinked confusedly.

Curtis and Gretchen stepped aside to reveal a thunderstruck Harumi and a less-thunderstruck Haruko standing behind them. "These people are Harumi Kisamaru and Haruko. I'm sure you remember those names we mentioned." Gretchen said.

Being kindhearted, Megumi and Tia approached both girls. "Hello, Harumi, I'm sure you're glad Curtis decided to fulfill your wishes, hm?" Megumi said nicely. Harumi shook herself out of her stupor, not wanting to act completely like the other millions of fans Megumi had. "Um, yes! Though, he almost forgot."

"'Ey, you better glad I thought about you!" Curtis retorted. Megumi giggled, "It's fine. It's fine. Nice to meet you."

"The same to you, Haruko!" Tia said, shaking heads with the pale blonde-haired girl. "Likewise, Tia." Haruko replied courteously.

Meanwhile, Gretchen was staring off to the side with narrowed eyes for some reason. Curtis almost caught that since Harumi, Megumi, Haruko, and Tia were busy acquainting each other. Since she was his Mamodo partner, he could instantly discern every kind of mannerism she had in every situation. And this one said one thing to him: an enemy was nearby.

"Where they at?" Curtis whispered questioningly, nudging Gretchen to get her attention. Gretchen looked at him and whispered back, "Outside. Somewhere on the roof." Curtis nodded as he suddenly said to the other females in the room, "Well, ladies, I'll leave you to each other. Me and Gretchen need to be off." Not giving them time to verbally respond, they dashed out of the room.

Harumi, Megumi, and Haruko were left bewildered at the action, but Tia managed to see one thing before they completely left—Curtis removing a battleship grey spellbook from his person. Tia looked at her bookkeeper and gave her a serious look. Megumi instantly knew what that meant too. Of course she would feel bad for leaving Harumi and Haruko like this, but it couldn't be helped.

"Um, Harumi? Haruko? You mind waiting here for a second?" Megumi requested. The two girls blinked but nodded their approval. With that done with, Tia and Megumi dashed out of the dress room and followed down the hall Curtis and Gretchen went.

* * *

><p>Curtis and Gretchen bust through the door that lead to the roof of the building. Their respective spellbook and scythe were already out, and they knew the enemy was here too.<p>

"Check it out, Servor, they found us."

"I see that, Jerrod; it saved us trouble."

Servor, the Mamodo, had pitch-black skin and two slanted white eyes that lacked pupils. The most outstanding thing about him was the large skeletal growth that took the appearance of a segmented snake that replaced his right arm. Additionally, he wore a skeletal chest-plate that was connected to the snakelike growth. His human partner, Jerod, was simply a gray-green haired adult male wearing a rugged business suit.

"Better to get this out of the way then you attacking people that were just leaving the concert." Gretchen said defensively, gripping her scythe with both hands. "Then let's make this short and sweet. There are more Mamodo in this building that we would like to eliminate." Servor said in a calm but cynical tone.

The blue-green spellbook in Jerrod's arms glowed as he exclaimed, "Dorusen!" The snakelike growth was outstretched and it fired a small drill to Gretchen and Curtis. "Curtis, let's block that!" Gretchen ordered, requesting a defense spell. "Ask and you will—"

"Ma Seshield!"

Suddenly, a circular pink and gold shield was summoned in front Gretchen that blocked the Dorusen rather effortlessly. "…Receive." Curtis finished his line with half-disappointment and half-surprise. "Ah, guess we couldn't fool you two." Gretchen said with a small smirk, looking at the newcomers. Predictably, Tia and Megumi were now on the scene as Ma Seshield went away. "Nope." Tia replied, matching Gretchen's smirk. "You two just leave the defense to us; you take over offense." Megumi advised as Curtis nodded in understanding.

"Today must be our lucky day." Jerrod said, idly spinning the blue-green spellbook in his hand. "Indeed." Servor hissed as he extended the snakelike growth again. At that moment, Gretchen dashed for him. "Quick but rather reckless." Servor commented. "Ganzu Dorusen!"

"Ganzu Ligar!" Curtis countered. As Gretchen ran, the blade of her scythe leaked dark energy. She rapidly swung it so that multiple dark, crescent-shaped projectiles could be unleashed. Servor had fired multiple small drills from his growth in response, both spells canceling each other.

"Hmmm. Interesting." Servor said as Jerrod proceeded to try out another spell. "Giga La Seoshi!" Suddenly, Servor was encased in a green dome. "What?" Servor and Jerrod exclaimed in shock. "Ha! Trying getting out of that one!" Tia challenged, her arm outstretched with the palm glowing green. "Giga La Seoshi redirects all attacks inside that barrier back to the user." Megumi explained.

"Which means we got an open kill-shot, baby!" Curtis exclaimed wildly, grinning, as he recited, "Ligar!"

"Don't underestimate us that quickly!" Jerrod said as he flipped pages quickly in the blue-green spellbook, "Ei Doruk!" The snakelike growth suddenly went underground and popped up on the outside of the barrier, spinning rapidly like a drill. Megumi, Tia, Curtis, and Gretchen were all shocked that, and the latter was the one who received the brunt of the attack.

"Gretchen!" Curtis yelled as his partner was knocked into the railing of the roof. "Megumi, our attack spell! Hurry!" Tia ordered. "Saisu!" Megumi recited, fulfilling her partner's orders. The palms of Tia's hand glowed orange as she swished them across her body, firing a somewhat weak energy boomerang at Servor. "Hm!" Servor grunted as he retracted his snakelike growth blocked the Saisu with it, "You'll have to do better than that!"

"Then try this, shithead!" Curtis shouted, "Raja Ligarsen!" Gretchen, having recovered from that attack, was charging up an immense amount of dark energy in the blade of her scythe. With a grunt, she unleashed a greatly larger crescent-shaped projectile. "Jerrod, back off!" Servor shouted in genuine concern for his bookkeeper. Jerrod jumped out of the way in time, but Servor had used his window of opportunity to make sure his book was kept safe. Raja Ligarsen hit point-blank.

"Nice shot!" Tia and Megumi replied in unison. "Thanks." Gretchen replied, jumping back over to them. A slash wound was seen on her across her left ribs area. "But that was just one lucky hit," Megumi said seriously, looking at the remnants of Raja Ligarsen and a struggling Servor, "We'll need a lot more than that."

"We got this," Curtis reassured confidently, "With ya'll two's shields and our scythes, this'll be a piece of a cake." At this time, Servor found the strength to stand back on his feet, getting over the initial shock and pain delivered by Gretchen's Raja Ligarsen. "Getting serious, they seem." Jerrod remarked. "Hmph. Then so will we." Servor asked as he extended his snakelike growth again. "Oruga Dorusen!"

Another type of drill was unleashed. This one, however, had a thinner but longer drill in the middle of it with a ring of smaller, wider drills rotating counterclockwise around the main one.

"Seoshi!"

"Ligaruk!"

Tia extended her hands and summoned a glassy dome shield over herself, Megumi, Curtis, and Gretchen. Oruga Dorusen came into contact with Seoshi and tried to hardest to penetrate the barrier. Meanwhile, Ligaruk went into effect. The blade of Gretchen's scythe became laden with dark energy; her wristbands and the neckline of the kosode also became coated with it.

"Hurry, Gretchen!" Tia pleaded, finding it more and more arduous to keep back Oruga Dorusen. "Leave this to me, Tia. Save your energy!" Gretchen directed as she got ready. Megumi stopped inputting heart energy into the spell; thus, Tia stopping performing Seoshi. At that moment, the Ligaruk-induced Gretchen dashed for the somewhat-weakened Oruga Dorusen and swung her scythe, sending out a powerful wave of dark energy that destroyed it.

Jerrod sneered in response, "Tch. Pretty persistent, aren't they?" Servor narrowed his eyes as he extended his snakelike growth, "No matter. The next spell, please!" The blue-green spellbook glowed once again, this time a bit brighter, as Jerrod read aloud, "Ariza Doruron!"

The segments of Servor's snakelike stretched out slightly, revealing elastic material in-between each segment. At the same time, metal drills appeared on the underside of each segment. "Careful, Gretchen!" Curtis alerted. "I don't need you to tell me that!" Gretchen objected as she gripped her scythe two-handedly, "The threat is clear as day!" With a grunt of effort, Servor bought Ariza Doruron down. The Ligaruk-induced Gretchen swung her scythe the drill segment coming down on her, but to her surprise, the spell was a lot more durable and stronger than it looked. She instantly caught hell trying to power, even with the power boost provided by Ligaruk, "M-Maybe it isn't…!" Gretchen said with a strained voice, finding herself on one knee.

"I told you! Damn it." Curtis said with distress, trying to figure out a way to help out his partner. "Megumi, we need to help Gretchen before that Mamodo drills a hole through her!" Tia alerted. Megumi nodded as she flipped pages in her book.

"Don't think that you three out of the picture." Servor suddenly said. Curtis, Megumi, and Tia then saw—with much surprise and dread—that the head of the growth was aimed straight at them. "Checkmate!" Jerrod exclaimed triumphantly, "Dorusen!"

"Reflero!"

Suddenly, a glowing, golden, glassy cross materialized before Tia, Megumi, and Curtis. The small drill launched from the snakelike growth's mouth connected against the cross. Then, it was reflected straight back into the growth's mouth, significantly damaging Ariza Doruron.

"What?" Jerrod and Servor exclaimed in shock. "Wh-Who the heck?" Curtis and Megumi commented in disbelief. No one saw it, but Gretchen was smiling as she started to that drill segment of Ariza Doruron upward. "Looks like you figured it out too, Haruko." She said.

Tia, Curtis, and Megumi all turned around and saw Haruko and Harumi. The former's hand was glowing a celestial blue color as she manipulated Reflero, and in the latter's hand was a dark khaki spellbook. "You guys should be a bit quieter in your fights." Harumi said offhandedly. Curtis got over his shock as he retorted, "Girl, why da hell didn't you tell me you were a bookkeeper? Oh my God, all my best friends are bookkeepers! Ain't that something?"

"I knew there was something about you, Haruko?" Tia stated, winking the blonde Mamodo. Haruko chuckled nervously as she let her hand drop, "It's pretty hard to hide the fact you're a Mamodo from others…" Megumi then stated smilingly, "Regardless. Now, it's three teams against one. Those are odds I always welcome."

"And, meanwhile, as you people converse, Gretchen is over here still struggling and bleeding profusely!" Gretchen yelled, her voice dripping with sardonicism to express her situation. Even after the main part of the transformed snakelike growth was struck, Ariza Doruron was still going strong, reducing Gretchen back to one knee and even causing her right shoulder to bleed, despite her best efforts with her scythe.

"Crap! Our bad, Gretchen!" Curtis shouted in anguish and looked to his other female allies, "Do something, ya'll! 'Fore Gretchen gets screwed over more!" Tia and Haruko both nodded in understanding and then requested to their bookkeepers, "Attack spell!"

"Saisu!"

"Haosen!"

Both of Tia's hands glowed orange as she crossed them, firing an orange energy boomerang. Haruko assumed an archery stance and a bow of light materialize. Pulling back the string, an arrow of light was generated and she promptly fired it. Both attack spells of the female Mamodo struck the head of the growth again. This time, Ariza Doruron was immediately cancelled out, causing Servor to begrudgingly recall it back to original length.

"Gretchen, you aight?" Curtis shouted concernedly as he approached his injured partner. Gretchen was hunched over in her stance, blood covering her shoulder and straining her kosode. "Never been better." Gretchen responded after a few pants. At this point, the battleship grey spellbook stopped glowing and Ligaruk automatically deactivated. "Shit. I just ran out of heart energy." The ecru-haired said through gritted teeth.

"We'll take care of that, Curtis." Tia said as she raised her arms above her head, "We need Gretchen for offense against that brute." Haruko went over to Gretchen and outstretched her arms, "And we need to keep you healthy."

"Saifojio!"

"Maifojio!"

A pink sword appeared above Tia and she promptly threw it into Curtis where it began healing him. Haruko's hands glowed white as light energy leaked onto Gretchen, healing those wounds she got from Ariza Doruron. Soon enough, both healing processes were finished at the expense of Harumi and Megumi losing more heart energy.

"That's better. 'Preciate it." Curtis thanked as Gretchen faced the disbelieving enemies once again. "No matter," Jerrod said in a hushed tone as the blue-green spellbook glowed again, "We'll just attack you even harder than before. Ganzu Dorusen!" Servor fired multiple small drills from the mouth of his snakelike growth. "Seoshi!" Megumi recited another defense spell in response. Tia summoned a glassy dome over all of her allies so that the drills could not hit them.

"Jerrod! Attack them from underground like last time!" Servor ordered. "Got it! Ei Doruk!" Jerrod shouted. The snakelike growth suddenly went underground. Tia's and Megumi's eyes widened in shock. Not this again! Luckily, Harumi caught their expressions and quickly recited, "Mashield!"

Haruko quickly placed her hands on the ground and, underneath Seoshi, a gold and white square barrier that resembled the gates to heaven was formed. Evidently by the subsequent BAM, it had blocked Ei Doruk. "Nice one, Haruko!" Tia commented, rather impressed. "Tia, let me out," Gretchen ordered, "I need to get close-range to that guy."

"Got it!" Tia and Megumi said in unison and dropped the Seoshi spell. Instantly, Gretchen made a break for Servor. "Ha! Don't make us laugh." Jerrod said condescendingly before casting the next spell, "Ariza Doruron!" This time, when Servor unleashed the segmented growth with drills on its underside, he had made sure it was long enough to reach both Gretchen and the others.

"Oh man! We can't defend ourselves and Gretchen!" Megumi exclaimed in shock. "And Zena Shield ain't no way near strong enough to stop that mess!" Curtis added. Harumi said optimistically, "Yes we can. Megumi, you worry about defending us. Leave Gretchen to me and Haruko." Haruko extended her hands again and said, "Please trust us."

Although Tia was less willing, Megumi was able to find the ability to understand and trust them. "Right." The pop idol responded before reciting, "Seoshi!" A glassy dome covered Curtis, Haruko, Harumi, Tia, and Megumi. "Mashield!" Harumi then casted. As Gretchen waited patiently, the same gold and white heavenly shield from before appeared above her. Thanks to that, everyone was safely blocked from Ariza Doruron.

Harumi then proudly explained, "Mashield has the ability to defend anyone anywhere and anytime. Not just us." Megumi smiled brightly as she said, "That's awesome!" Tia smirked at Haruko and complimented, "You go, girl!" Haruko blushed in embarrassment, "I-It's nothing really…"

Servor refrained from snarling uncharacteristically as he called his snakelike growth yet again. "Jerrod, use my strongest spell. Let's eliminate them right here and now." Jerrod nodded as he flipped to practically the back of the blue-green spellbook and casted with much fervor, "Fanbai Dorudon!" Servor extended his snakelike growth again, but it increased dramatically in size, was covered in a layer of grey steel, and its open mouth possessed a large drill inside it.

"C-Curtis!" Gretchen yelled to her bookkeeper, hoping he had thought of something. Besides, she was the closet one to it. "Get out of there, Gretchen!" Curtis yelled back, "We don't have a spell powerful enough to take that on!" Tia cried out, "Neither do we!" Jerrod smirked as he said to his Mamodo partner, "You hear that, Servor? We got them on the ropes now!" Servor replied cynically, "And it's about time too. Time for them to be sent back to the Mamodo World."

"Gigano Reflero!

Haruko and Harumi once again came to the rescue. Another golden cross appeared. This one, however, glowed much more radiantly and had an angel-wing style bowtie connected to the middle. Fanbai Dorudon connected against Gigano Reflero. A struggle for supremacy immediately came forth. Some seconds afterward the giant drill snake was coated in an aura of light.

"W-What sorcery is this?" Jerrod shouted. Then, Fanbai Dorudon was actually directed back to Servor and Jerrod. "A Gigano-class spell…" Servor said in a thunderstruck tone, "…deflected a…high-tier spell?" Jerrod and Servor screamed in pain as they felt the impact of their own spell.

"…Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, and Saint Joseph. That was…off the hook." Curtis commented, his whole body stagnant with amazement. "That just about sums it up." Megumi said in the same state as Curtis. Haruko left her arms drop as he panted laboriously. "Man…That was hard…" Harumi remarked, equally tired as she closed the dark khaki spellbook and hunched over. "But that was still pretty awesome." Tia said to them comfortingly, winking. The two girls responded with a soft smile.

When the dust and smoke settled, Servor was bloodied and staggering. "You little…" It was then his body began to become transparent, "What…? I'm fading?" He turned to see his bookkeeper was laying unconscious and his spellbook being swallowed up by purple flames. "How unsightly…" Servor sneered as he completely disappeared, signaling his elimination from the tournament.

"And that's that." Curtis declared, closing the battleship grey spellbook. "Thank goodness." Megumi said graciously, putting away the orange spellbook. Gretchen, by now, had rejoined the group, "Not bad, you guys. Not bad." Tia and Haruko gave the older female a thumbs-up and a smile respectively.

"Good thing we didn't get all that beat up." Curtis remarked. "Save for me." Gretchen stated disdainfully. "You look fine, Gretchen." Harumi said earnestly. "Anyway," Megumi spoke, "Since that's over with, let's go eat! My treat."

Everyone, predictably, did not object to that.

* * *

><p>The city of Mochinoki reflected off a metal mask of someone overlooking the city on a hill. "So this is the place?" The breeze made loose clothing sway before the entity continued, "Hmph. So, now, it is time to retrieve what we need."<p>

Four shadowed figures were looming over the horizon. It was time for the next adventure to begin.


	16. Chapter 16: The Next Wave

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru, Haruko, Izo Uramori, Myriam Schwazden, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, Shine, Zale Schwazden, Thoria, Cassandra, Vini, Amanda, Phoebe, Samantha, Phantom, and Isaac.

**Chapter 16: The Next Wave**

The same metal mask reflected the peaceful scene of downtown Mochinoki City from the top of a building, and the tattered, large, black cloak that billowed in the wind made the character stand out.

"Inarticulate as ever, aren't you, Phantom?" The human beside him question. He was wearing an outfit like that of a conductor. He was wearing an Alice-blue scarf, an ivory formal button-up, ivory fastened by an Alice-blue sash, and white dress shoes. Additionally, he bore white gloves—the left hand had a conductor's baton while the other cradled a taupe grey spellbook.

"I am focused solely on our objective, Isaac." Phantom replied, flexing a large metal hand—that also was his only visible one—from a single large sleeve. "And what is our objective?" Isaac asked the mysterious Mamodo for confirmation. If Phantom had any eyes on his metal mask, one would see them narrow into bloodthirsty slits, "To retrieve another cursed one for Lord Leo."

* * *

><p>Megumi, Tia, Curtis, Gretchen, Haruko, and Harumi were now seen in Mochinoki Park having a sort of picnic together. As she volunteered to do, Megumi purchased all of the food present, but it was Harumi's idea to have the picnic itself.<p>

"Once again, thanks, Megumi!" Haruko said appreciatively to the pop idol as she nibbled on her finger sandwich.

"It's no big deal, really." Megumi replied modestly as she sliced an apple into perfect wedges. "But let's not forget whose idea was it to have a picnic." Harumi piped in proudly. Curtis, who momentarily paused from stuffing his face, replied, "You didn't buy the food, sweetheart. Then again, you _are _west side."

"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Harumi retorted, glaring at the ecru-haired male. Curtis smirked as he swallowed his food while Megumi giggled nervously. Then, the pop idol realized something from Curtis's dialogue and questioned, "Wait. What do you mean "west side?"

Harumi looked at Megumi and answered, "I'm American-born with an American father. My family and I moved to Japan, my mother's nativity, for financial reasons." She then gave a sideways glance to Curtis, "Hence, why he said I'm "west side," from the Western Hemisphere."

"Oh." Megumi simply said. For a moment, Curtis stopped eating and added in, "It like how my dad is Japanese while my mom is African. Me and Harumi are, as derogative as it may sound, hybrids." Megumi flinched a little as the word "hybrid" was used to describe them. It didn't have a pleasant connotation whatsoever. "Yeah, I know, right?" Harumi said, sensing that Megumi's dislike for the word.

The blonde then decided to change the subject. "Hey, guys, did you hear on the news about this new structure that appeared? Looks pretty cool to me." At this point, Curtis and Megumi froze silently, having received prior news concerning it. Unlike Harumi, they knew it had something to do with the Mamodo World.

Remembering that Harumi was trying to stir up another conversation, Megumi finally replied, "U-Uh, yeah. It was all over the news this morning." Curtis just shook his head, "It ain't nothin' special in my opinion. Just another publicity stunt." Harumi just shrugged her shoulders, "Fair enough."

When Harumi occupied herself by applying condiments to another sandwich, Megumi and Curtis inched to each other to discuss about the news. "I'm sure I don't need to tell ya that that structure gotta be from da Mamodo World." Curtis whispered. "No. Kiyo, Mr. Sunbeam, and I already talked about it," Megumi whispered back, "We're trying to get to the bottom of it now."

Right when Curtis was about to say something else, Harumi spoke again, "Oh, Curtis, did you ever hear from Ang or Izo lately? I haven't at all." Megumi and Curtis pretended they weren't talking about something secret—and were also thankful that Harumi didn't inquire them about such—as the ecru-haired male answered, "Uh, no. I ain't heard from either 'a' them."

Curious, the pop idol asked, "What about them?" Harumi gladly responded, "Ang has been away recently because she's trying to apply to a technical college for her career in psychology. Izo is away participating in a fencing tournament."

"So, basically, it's been just me and Harumi fo' some time." Curtis added nonchalantly. Megumi smiled, "Oh wow! I hope they're doing great!" Harumi grinned proudly, "They probably are. I mean, Ang and Izo are very good at their professions.

"We all are." Curtis said. "Curtis. You don't have an extracurricular activity." Harumi stated matter-of-factly but strictly. "Well, 'scuse me!" The African-Japanese male retorted. "Of course. That could all be bypassed if you would just run track." The blonde crooned.

"You can run track, Curtis?" Megumi interjected curiously, looking at the pale pink-eyed male. "Naw, but people keep askin' me to. It's annoying!" The pop idol then said soothingly, "Then…maybe it's because they something in you that you can't, Curtis. I think you should give it a try before you come to conclusions."

As the humans mingled and interacted, the Mamodo were doing pretty much the same thing. Tia and Haruko were engaged in girl-talk while Gretchen was sitting against a nearby stump, one of her legs propped, eyes closed, and arms crossed. Haruko noticed Gretchen in her state and chimed, "Oneechan? Aren't you going to eat?"

"I've eaten a little already." Gretchen answered while still maintain her posture. Haruko was about to say something else until Tia piped in, "Um…Haruko, why do you call Gretchen "neechan?" You two aren't sisters." Haruko looked at Tia sheepishly and replied, "Um, well. There's a bit of history behind that…"

"Please tell!" Tia requested eagerly. "Okay!" Haruko replied just as ecstatically.

_It was considered a normal day at the Mamodo World Elementary School. All of the Mamodo children were present in their classmates where teachers furthered their education and showed how mystical their powers were._

_One class in particular was the physical education class. It was a rudimentary form of training that every Mamodo, should he or she have signed up for it, received in the school. _

"_Haruko?"_

"_Here!" And Haruko was apparently one of the students to have taken it. After the teacher wrote down her attendance, Haruko let her hand drop. Today was one of those days where the physical education classes convened all their students for attendance and evaluation reasons. From what she said, Haruko knew some Mamodo actually dropped the class or were unfit to continue being in it. Such was the reason for these days._

_Of course, Haruko knew she wouldn't have that problem. Her grades in the physical education class were satisfactory. She had only hoped her classmates were just that fortunate. _

_Haruko now had to wait patiently until the procedures were done. Thankfully, the class was held outside, and that provided an opportunity for her to improve on her archery skills. She plopped herself on the nearest bench and pulled out a book from her person, starting from where her bookmark indicated she last stopped._

_Her moment of peace would soon be interrupted, and in a bad way as well._

_Suddenly, she was approached by three older girl Mamodo. Haruko noticed immediately, for the sunlight was blocked by them. "Um. May I help you?" Haruko asked them meekly. "You are in our spot." The leader snapped at her. Haruko flinched at that harsh sound of her voice, "Oh, but…um…"_

"_Are you deaf or something?" the second added in, just as harshly, "Get out of our spot and crawl somewhere else!" Haruko was beginning to fluster nervously; she was unaccustomed to such verbal barrages, "B-But…why can't we just share?" She asked. _

"_Share with you?" the third and final girl spoke with outrage in her voice, "HA! You're not even worth hanging out with!"_

"_And what's this?" The first girl said as she suddenly snatched Haruko's book out of her hands. "Hey! Give that back!" Haruko got up from her seat and tried to get it back, but the girl held her at bay with just her hand, making sure the book was totally out of her reach. "You want it? Fetch." The bully then casually flicked the book away, and it landed in the mud._

_The second girl unsuspectingly approached Haruko as she gingerly removed the book from the mud. Then, the bully mercilessly pushed Haruko into the mud, getting her dress and hair covered in it. All three of the girls laughed heartlessly at the sight of Haruko defiled. _

"_Hey, look, girls, it's Mud Face Haruko." The leader said, smirking evilly. "Ew, and she's all dirty." The second one said overdramatically. "Awww. She looks like she's going to cry." The third one insulted mockingly. As the three laughed and chanting "Mud Face Haruko," the blonde girl could only looked at herself in tears._

_In the midst of the leading girl's enjoyment, she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Not now, I'm busy enjoying myself—.…" When turned around and looked, her eyes now showed fear and apprehension at the sight of one thing._

_The toughest and most threatening female fighter in the school: Gretchen. And she was frowning._

"…_Uh, girls?" The leader squeaked fearfully. "Huh?" The other two looked at her, and she pointed. When the other two turned, their faces blanched considerably. With a glare from her celestial blue eyes, the three girls were sent screaming and running away._

_Haruko, with tears in her eyes, stared at the scene in wonderment. Just like that, those girls lost their bravado and attitude. Her wonderment was replaced with fear once again as Gretchen set her eyes on her. "Wh-What do you want with me?"Haruko asked fearfully, cowering as Gretchen reached for her._

"_Hush." Gretchen simply said as she helped the younger girl out of the mud, also picking up her book. "Come with me." Haruko couldn't object, for the older Mamodo firmly grasped her hand and was leading her back inside. "Wh-Where are we going?"Haruko asked._

"_Hush." Gretchen repeated. _

_Thankfully, both Gretchen and Haruko already had their attendance taken, so the teachers wouldn't notice them missing for a bit. After a while, Gretchen and Haruko emerged out of the bathroom with the latter cleaned up and everything. "There. That's better." Gretchen said as she handed the younger Mamodo back her archery book._

"_Um…Thank you…miss." Haruko said nervously but appreciatively, taking back her book. Gretchen shook her head, "The miss isn't necessary. The name's Gretchen." The blonde Mamodo replied, "O-Oh! I know you…" Haruko said and then introduced herself, "A-And my name is H-Haruko."_

"_Haruko, huh?" Gretchen said contemplatively and nodded, "I see." She started walking again and Haruko hurried to match her strides. "Listen, Haruko," the older girl said sternly, "Don't ever let people like them push you around." _

"_I…uh…um…" Haruko stammered, unsure of what to say. Gretchen waited patiently for her response. Finally, the younger female managed to say, "B-But you're th-the toughest girl in school! I mean you're not even supposed to be in the girl's class anymore!…Everyone isn't as great as you…It's hard for people like me to stand up against—"_

_Haruko was silenced when Gretchen gave her a light chop on the back of her hand, "Okay. Talking down about yourself is something I won't tolerate," she stated firmly, "Anyone can be tough, doesn't matter who you are. And I come to girl's class only on these days; I rough it with the boys every other day."_

_Haruko only stared in reverence at Gretchen. This was inspirational. It was no wonder she was so strong, in terms of physicality and will. Above all, Gretchen had a good head on her shoulders. She was definitely someone to be emulated. _

"_Gretchen?" Haruko said in a hushed tone. "Yes?" Gretchen replied. "May I start calling you 'Gretchen-oneechan?'" The younger girl requested cutely with a smile._

_From then one, Gretchen and Haruko became surrogate sisters. Gretchen would look after and protect Haruko until she gained self-confidence in herself to one day also be tough. But, as interesting fate was, this would be put to the test._

"_I can't believe I was referred into the battle." Haruko said, hugging her book as she plopped onto the edge of a cliff. Gretchen was behind her, her book and scythe on her person, as she replied, "I can't either. In fact, I can't believe a lot of Mamodo accepted are in." _

"_That just makes me wonder…" Haruko mumbled pensively, "Will I be able to make it to the top?" Gretchen walked up to her side and stated, "Provided that you overcome all trials and tribulations to come."Haruko nodded as she meditated on those words. Her mood then sombered as she realized something, and Gretchen took note of her change in mood. _

"_Something wrong?" Gretchen asked. "Neechan?" Haruko started, "What if…by chance, you and I were the final ones in the battle?" Gretchen was struck with realization herself. If fate was as cruel as it was claimed to be, the two surrogate sisters would have to do battle. _

_Gretchen could only sigh. "…Only if you're tough enough."_

"Wow." Tia commented and looked at Gretchen, "I didn't know you were like that, Gretchen." Gretchen, unperturbed, replied, "I'm no one special; just doing what I can."

"Sounds like you did a lot to me." Tia said, raising an eyebrow, "Those girls had it coming, anyway. They had no business tormenting Haruko like that!"

Haruko then slyly stated, "Tia. If I recall correctly, weren't you called Tia the Tomboy at school?" The redheaded Mamodo blushed in embarrassment, "That's an entirely different story!" Everyone shared a hearty chuckle as they continued with their day.

* * *

><p>"Come on, Kiyo! Why won't you play with me and Vulcan?" Zatch whined, hanging from the monkey bars with his trusty Vulcan in his arms. Kiyo, meanwhile, was typing away on his laptop at a bench. He replied to his Mamodo partner, "Zatch. I'm busy doing homework." The blonde Mamodo pouted as he continued to play, "Kiyo, then why do you come here?"<p>

"To be in a serene environment." The astute student responded, continuing to type his paper. "What does serene mean?" The Lightning Blonde asked innocently. Kiyo mustered all of his strength to not throw his laptop at the boy. Instead, he opted to stay quiet and continue working. If only Zatch wasn't around, then he would have had the perfect place to work at. The only noises would be the occasional breezes and…the call of a falcon?

Kiyo curiously looked up to see a large bird circling around in the air. "Oh. It's just a hawk…or falcon or something." He said before going back to his work. Birds of all kinds were common around these parts, he had almost forgotten.

Within the bushes, however, Kiyo and Zatch were in someone's sight. Well, the sight of someone's binoculars that is. "Target sighted." Subsequently, an antique white illuminated that section of the bush, "Airzuruk!"

Suddenly, the bird circling above them dive-bombed, leaving behind a light blue trail of sharp wind. The entity rammed into the monkey bars Zatch was playing on with great force. "AHH!" Zatch screamed as he was blown away and rolled across the ground.

"Zatch!" Kiyo exclaimed in shock, putting away his laptop and such in exchange for the red spellbook. As he ran to his partner's side, he said aloud, "Was that an enemy?"

"Exacta. You're right."

Zatch and Kiyo looked to see their new enemies. The Mamodo was indeed a falcon but was colored a dim white, and its feathers—specifically on his wings and torso—are colored brown. Its entire tail feathers were also brown in color. Its beak and legs were dark orange with the talons being black, and its eyes were a deep sky blue. The avian creature perched itself on a dark brown falconry glove on the right arm of its female partner.

She was exactly six feet tall with posterior-length, grayish-green hair that is mainly straight with a slight spread in diameter towards the end of it. Her outfit consisted of a fern green business suit with three buttons on the lapel that are kept fastened and an upturned collar that shows a white undershirt and a dark blue tie. The business suit has a left breast pocket with a number of small medallions attached to it. She also wears fern green shorts that barely reach knee-length and dark brown boots.

"So. You're this…Bao, right?"


	17. Chapter 17: Change in Pace

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru, Haruko, Izo Uramori, Myriam Schwazden, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, Shine, Zale Schwazden, Thoria, Cassandra, Vini, Amanda, Phoebe, Samantha, Phantom, Isaac, Marjorie Barragán, and Talón.

**Chapter 17: Change in Pace **

"Harumi!" Haruko whined as she entered Harumi's bedroom, "Are you ready yet?"

"Almost, almost. I just gotta do my hair." Harumi answered, sitting cross-legged in front of her makeup table and the large mirror on it. She was wearing a sleeveless, ocean boat blue vest with a wide neckline; a Navajo white scarf; a knee-length, frilled, Navajo white skirt with an ocean boat blue, patterned belt; ocean boat blue ankle boots; and gold hoop earrings. Her blonde hair was not in its usual ponytail, cascading down to its normal mid-spine length.

"…Um…" Haruko squeaked, looking at her bookkeeper questioningly, "It looks done already…"

"That's because I'm deciding whether it should be in curls, braided, or keep it straight," Harumi answered. She then let a smirk etch on her face, "After all, I might as well turn some heads if I'm going to an athletic event."A sweat-drop appeared on Haruko's head as she said dubiously, "If you say so…"

"I'm just ecstatic that Curtis finally decided to join the track team." Harumi announced happily, staring at her reflection's hair thoughtfully, "It's about time he got out of that apartment of his and away from those video games."

"Um, right…" Haruko rubbed the back of her head through her curly pale blonde hair, "And if you want my opinion…you should keep it straight."

"I was thinking the same thing."

* * *

><p>"Bao? You mean Bao Zakeruga?"<p>

Kiyo and Zatch stared at their attackers watchfully. It was obvious they wanted something and was going to use force if necessary.

"I believe so." The grayish green-haired girl replied and then introduced herself, "Se nombre es Marjorie Barragán." She lifted up slightly the arm that possessed the falconry glove and the bird roosting on it, "This is my partner, Talón."

"Don't you mean 'Talon?'?" Zatch asked innocently, noticing how synonymous the two words sounded. "Same difference." Marjorie retorted, rolling her eyes at the blonde boy's childishness.

"_These guys aren't the first guys to ask about Bao Zakeruga…"_ Kiyo thought, still keeping a watchful on Marjorie and Talon, _"Just a couple of nights ago…there was that Mamodo and his partner, Arth and Elly, who wanted to know the same thing. Could they be working together? Or are they doing something else?"_ He narrowed his eyes, _"What the hell is going on…?"_

Kiyo would not have more time to ruminate on the matter because Talon removed himself from his bookkeeper' arm and flew straight toward Zatch. "Get ready, Zatch!" He yelled as he immediately opened up the red spellbook and read a spell, "Zakeruga!"

"Airzuruk!"

Zatch's eyes rolled to the back of his head as a concentrated beam of lightning was discharged. However, the speed boost provided by Airzuruk allowed Talon to dodged the attack and ram straight into Zatch at a different angle. _"Whoa! That bird is fast!" _Kiyo commented in shock. He then asked aloud, "Zatch! You okay?"

The blonde Mamodo forced himself to his feet, "I'm alright, Kiyo." Marjorie smirked as the antique white book in her arm glowed once more, "For how long is what I wonder. Airzuruk!" Talon performed an aerial loop and dashed for Zatch again. "Rauzaruk!" A lightning bolt suddenly came down from the sky and struck Zatch, giving him a rainbow-colored aura. However, even the boost provided by Rauzaruk was not enough for Zatch to evade another ram from the white and brown falcon.

"Mmhmhm." Marjorie chuckled as Talon gradually slowed down and returned to a hovering position above her, "Is that the extent of your skills? Tan decepcionando." Kiyo gritted his teeth as he glared at the older human, "Why don't you say that in English or Japanese so I can understand you?"

Marjorie sneered as she retorted, "Understand _this_, little boy!" The antique white spellbook glowed brighter this time, "Garu Airzuruk!" Talon shot himself toward Zatch again as a rotating, sharp spiral of air surrounded him. _"This one is marginally slower than her last spell."_ Kiyo noted in his mind, "Zatch, dodge to the left!"

Zatch did as he was told, and Talon flew past them after missing his mark. Marjorie gritted her teeth in frustration, "Bastard." Kiyo pointed at the bird in his trademark style, dismissing Rauzaruk, and said another spell, "Zaker!" Again, Zatch's eyes rolled to the back of his head and unleashed a burst of lightning. Talon, unable to react, was struck and squawked in pain. "Bull's-eye!" Kiyo said happily.

"Hmph! This isn't over, boy!" Marjorie said defiantly. From the smoke, Talon flew out and cawed belittlingly, "Koko kaw. (That attack was barely lukewarm.)" Zatch gritted his teeth and called out to his partner, "Kiyo!"

"Zakeruga!"

"Ar Shield!"

Zatch unleashed another beam of lightning from his mouth, but Talon retaliated by summoning a concentrated, light silver, disc-shaped shield of air to block the electrical attack. Kiyo gritted his teeth as he thought, _"What are these two? I can't seem to get any sort of leeway for a direct hit unlike that last time."_

His dark eyes then caught something out of the corner of his eyes: the remnants of the metal jungle gym. _"Oh wait…That's it! I can use Jikerdor to shut down their speed! But, odds are they can easily move out of the way with their speed."_ He then recalled how he managed to hit Talon with Zaker, but that was only because of Garu Airzuruk. What were the odds of that happening again? _"But it's worth a shot."_ Kiyo thought.

"Let's rip them in half, Talón," Marjorie said, "Garu Airzuruk!" Once again, the avian Mamodo launched himself to Zatch as a rotating spiral of air surrounded him. "Perfect!" Kiyo exclaimed and put his plan into action, "Jikerdor!" Zatch's golden-orange eyes rolled to the back of his head as an electromagnetic sphere was released from it. Once it collided with the Garu Airzuruk-induced Talon, the bird was immediately attracted toward the metal remains of the jungle gym.

"Kaaaaaaaw!" Talon screamed as he was forcibly and magnetically attached to them. "Talón!" Marjorie exclaimed, whipping her body toward the direction of her immobilized partner. "Now are you gonna tell us why you're here?" Kiyo demanded. Marjorie shot the younger human with a glare from her blue eyes, "I don't have to tell you anything. All you need to know is that the creature you call Bao Zakerga is very important."

"…_Kinda sounds like what Arth said about Bao Zakeruga…"_ Kiyo thought. Arth and his young bookkeeper Elly were another team participating in the Mamodo Fight, and they were among the remaining forty. Arth, an armored swordsman, stated his reason for attacking him and Zatch that day was because they were the user of Bao. They never figured out why he possessed such enmity to Bao Zakeruga. Along with that, Arth and Elly mentioned something about two great threats, and Bao was one of them.

"But I will say this, I am not alone." Marjorie added. This caused Kiyo to asked, "And who are you working with?" The Spanish female responded as her antique white spellbook started glowing, "That's classified." Zatch lunged for Marjorie, with intent of snatching the book, while yelling, "Whatever it is, we won't let it happen!"

Marjorie, unmoved, simply grinned and said another spell, "Airzurusen!" Talon's eyes reopened determinedly as he released a shot of concentrated air from his beak. The attack hit Zatch point-blank and sent him into a tree. "Zatch!" Kiyo shouted as he ran over to his fallen partner.

Around this time, Jikerdor finally wore off as Talon was freed, and Marjorie walked over to him as he roosted on the falconry glove. "You must have been born prematurely to think that you could defeat us this way." Marjorie chastised, turning to them. "Ko. (Indeed.)" Talon agreed.

Kiyo and Zatch looked at them as she continued talking, "It's time we settle this." Talon flew off Marjorie's glove as the antique white spellbook glowed more brightly. "Get ready, Zatch…" Kiyo whispered warily, eyeing them as Zatch nodded.

"Go Airzuruk!"

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I let ya'll talk me into this..." Curtis groused as he parked his vehicle. The reason why he was fussing was because this was the first day he was to practice track. The destination was the track ring near the athletic complex at Odaiba High School where the current track team had already met.<p>

"You won't regret this, Curtis, I'm sure!" Gretchen, on the other hand, was unusually more exuberant. She was excited to see if Curtis would become the fastest newcomer on the track team. "Now hurry up and get out!" She demanded.

"Yeah, yeah." Curtis huffed as he turned off the car and walked out. He was wearing the standard practice outfit: navy sports pants and the sleeveless practice jersey. Gretchen followed behind with more pep in her step, "Knock 'em dead, Curtis!" She encouraged as he walked off to the bleachers where she could bear witness to the practice.

Much to Gretchen's surprise, Harumi and Haruko were already situated at a spot in the stands. "Oh, hey, you two!" Gretchen greeted as she walked up to them and sat down. "Hey, Gretch." Harumi greeted. "Hi, Oneechan." Haruko said smilingly. It was pretty much understood why they spoke not much more given the circumstances.

Curtis sighed once again before going to where the practice was to be held in the part of ring. At the very beginning of the clay trail, sure enough, was the track team. "Because it's Saturday, the drill is simple: five laps around the trail." The track coach said to the runners. Over them, he saw Curtis making his way to the team. Clearing his throat, he added, "But before that, let me introduce our newest member of the team. Though, most of you should know him." He gestured his hand to the back of them, "Curtis Herrakoro."

The track team turned to see Curtis standing before them with arms crossed. "Yo." He greeted tersely. "Glad you showed up, Curtis." the track coach said, "Now, we just got to see what you're made of. Every new member-"

"Why _him_?"

Everyone turned to the source of the brusque and sharp voice, a black-haired male with black-rimmed glasses. "Isn't he the guy that plays video games even during class?" He was Juniki Oresama, the Senior leader of the track leader and their fastest runner. Curtis narrowed his pale pink eyes at the Chinese/Japanese student, "And if I am?" He replied challengingly.

"You'll be wasting our time. Besides, we have enough runners as is. Don't even know why you signed up so late in the season." Juniki continued. "Hey, Jun, don't pick fights with the rookie." One of the teammates said in the back. "Yeah, man, give Curtis a chance!" another said, this time closer.

Gretchen, watching from afar, frowned at the gall of the star runner, _"What an asshole."_She thought. "He thinks he's all that because he won several trophies and broke the school record last year." Harumi said, leering angrily at Juniki. "…Um. Then shouldn't he have reason to boast, Harumi?" Haruko pointed out innocently. Harumi silenced her with a glare from the corner of her eyes.

"Then, Oresama, why don't you race me?" Curtis challenged. All eyes fell on the African/Japanese male, some with disbelief in their eyes. "Excuse me?" Juniki said warningly, turning to him. "I'm sure I be speakin' our native language," Curtis teased with his famous grin, "'Course, you can always run away if ya want to."

Juniki did not appreciate being talked down by the rookie of the team, and it was evident with the ire displayed in his eyes. "Fine then! Let's race!" Curtis looked at the track coach and stated, "Ya mind this bein' my evaluation, coach?" The track coach nodded unquestioningly, "It'll be a tough one, but if you insist."

Curtis looked at Juniki and stated, "Like you said, baby, let's race!"

A few minutes later, Curtis and Juniki stood at the beginning of the straightest pathway on the trail, both busy stretching for their upcoming race.

"First one to make it to the end of the path is the winner. Plain and simple." The track coach said to them. Some of the team members were on that side of the trail while the others were stationed at the end, acting as the finish line.

"Easy enough." Juniki declared as he assumed the standard starting stance. "Sho is." Curtis agreed as he prepared himself. One of the track runners stepped beside the ecru-haired male, "No, Curtis, you position yourself like this." That person quickly got into the stance in order to show Curtis how to properly do it.

"Oh." Curtis responded as he imitated the person's stance, "...This feels uncomfortable." He remarked. "It's supposed to allow you to get a boost in speed when the race begins." That track runner stated as he stood up and backed off.

Juniki only sighed as he thought, _"What an amateur."_

"On your marks," the track coach said as the two racers prepared themselves, "Get set...GO!"

Both Juniki and Curtis sprinted from their starting positions. Typically, for he had more experience, Juniki was starting to gain the lead. But, to his disbelief, this lead was only marginal - Curtis was actually hot on his trail.

"Whoa, look at Curtis go!"

"He's RIGHT behind Juniki!"

"Juniki's still ahead though!"

Those were some of the comments, along with encouraging cheers, made by the rest of the track team as the race went on. Juniki himself couldn't believe how close Curtis was to him. _"I should be leaving him in the dust! He CAN'T be that fast!" _Juniki thought outrageously.

Curtis, meanwhile, focused only on the objective at hand, and that was passing Juniki and winning this race. Truth be told, he could not believe he was this fast on his feet. _"Well, I DO have African blood in me..."_ He thought. But he soon concentrated on the matter at hand. He was not exactly out of the woods yet, for he was still behind Juniki. _"I need to pass dis fool, but I think I'm already at top speeds..."_

Pretty soon, the "finish line" was coming closer and closer. Juniki smirked when he noticed that Curtis was still behind him - even if slightly. _"Heh. Well, not the pace I wanted, but a victory is a victory."_He thought.

Curtis gritted his teeth when he noticed he wasn't passing Juniki as the end of the race dawned. "Better luck next time, Herrakoro." Juniki said, "Picking challenges on a video game is different than in real life."

"You know what, I'm tired of yo ass." Curtis said abrasively. Fueled by that ambition, Curtis leaned forward in his posture and pushed himself to the limits. "What the-!" Juniki exclaimed. Before the senior star runner knew it, Curtis had turned the tables and gained a small lead - by the same margin Juniki used to have to be exact. This was kept right past the finish line, and the track team exploded into cheers.

"I-Impossible!" Juniki said in disbelief as he jogged to a stop. Even he knew that Curtis had beaten him. "Suck it, Jun! I win!" Curtis yelled triumphantly after coming to a stop.

"Wow! Jun lost!"

"To the rookie!"

"Well, looks like we know who the fastest runner in Odaiba is now."

"Way to go, Curtis!"

Pretty soon, the track team surrounded Curtis and made similar commendations to him. "Ya'll get off me! I can't breathe and my legs hurt like hell!" Curtis yelled in distress, now suffering from the effects of pushing himself against an adversary like Juniki.

"Alright, everyone, break it up!" The track coach shouted, causing everyone to disperse and snap Juniki out of his stupor. "Well, well, Curtis, that was pretty ballsy. Everyone in the league is gonna be surprised when they see you in action."

" 'Preciate it, coach." Curtis said and then walked to Juniki, " 'Ey, man. I hope ya learned somethin'. But...good race is what I have to say." Juniki stared at Curtis's hand blankly, giving the impression to many that he wasn't going to display sportsmanship. A second later, the Senior shook the ecru-haired male's hand, "Yeah. Good race, Curtis." He said simply.

"Alright, time to start practice. Get to jogging!" The track coach barked and the team went off. Curtis's face was priceless upon hearing that. He had forgotten they had the actual practice session, and he pushed himself so much during his inauguration. "Well, Herrakoro? Come on!" Juniki urged, snickering as he start jogging.

"Lord, give me strength.." Curtis mumbled as he jogged after, trying to ignore the soreness coming up in his lower extremities. From the corners of his eyes, he saw Gretchen smiling at him proudly, and he couldn't help but smirk back. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. Now, he just had to get accustomed to it.

"Twenty buck says he's going to pass out before the end." Harumi declared, causing Gretchen to laugh. "Harumi! That's a horrible thing to bet on!" Haruko objected.

"We'll take you up on that offer."

Gretchen, Harumi, and Haruko stopped to see two familiar faces joined the party: Izo and Nylon. Izo was donning a sleeveless, Air Force blue, Madarin-style shirt with vertical, golden buttoning and Air Force blue pants. He wears an Air Force blue, collared cloak. An interesting new feature to his attire was that a rapier inside a gold dark sheath connected to his belt. Nylon had his original outfit; the only addition being a large dark green scabbard, holding a sheathed sword inside it. The hilt guard as white and silver, and the actual hilt was a standard gold. Based on the diameter of the sheath, the sword's blade was fairly wide, and it was wrapped around the upper parts of his cloak by a brown strap.

"Izo! Nylon! You're back!" Harumi exclaimed, standing up from her seat and hugging her friend. She was excited to see them return from a regional championship in Nagasaki. "Did you win, Izo-san?" Haruko asked curiously. "With flying colors." Izo answered proudly, breaking the hug. Nylon held up his hand and chimed in, "I'm a witness."

"That explains the change of clothes." Gretchen stated, "Usually people buy something to commemorate a victory, especially if it's far away from home."

"Exactly." Izo said as he and Nylon took a seat, "I'm curious, you three. How did you finally manage to coerce Curtis into joining the track team?"

"Actually, it wasn't us," Harumi replied honestly, "It was Megumi." Izo blinked in surprise, "Megumi?" Nylon chuckled as he added in, "That doesn't surprise me. She's got a heart of gold. She knows how to handle situations like that in the nicest way possible."

"That reminds me," Izo suddenly proclaimed and look at the three girls hopefully, "Gretchen, Haruko, Harumi, do you three know anyone by the name of Cherish?" The three girls only look at him thoughtfully, a simultaneous 'uhhhh' droning from their slightly agape mouths. "She's a girl Mamodo. About Nylon's age. Long, wavy, golden-brown hair." The three girls shook their heads in unison. Izo leaned back into his seat and said in a soft tone, "I see…"

"Why? What's up?" Gretchen asked out of the blue. It was Nylon who began the story: "While we were in Nagasaki, I met an old friend of mine…"

"…_Yield…"_

"_Winner: Izo Uramori."_

_The two fencers withdraw their fencing swords and bowed graciously before going their separate ways. Izo removed his mask from his head and breathed a sigh of relief. "One step closer to winning." He muttered to himself. The rest of his teammates were eliminated already in separate tournaments, so he was the sole representative of Odabia High School and had a chance of winning the title. _

_After redressing and a quick team meeting, Izo was dismissed, and he met up with Nylon outside the complex the fencing tournament was held. "Training pays off, doesn't it?" The Mamodo knight asked with a grin. "It sure does. That was my toughest match yet…" Izo said tiredly. Nylon chuckled and patted encouragingly on his partner's back, "Keep up the good work, Izo."_

"_Saazu Nagur!" _

_Izo and Nylon instantly became alert when they heard the sounds of a scuffle in the distance. "A fight's going on?" Izo asked aloud. Nylon's brow knitted together, "In a place like this? How disrespectful. Come on, Izo." The high school fencer nodded before pursuing his demon partner._

"_Forusu Nagur!"_

_Another explosion rocked the area as Izo and Nylon arrived at the sight of the fight in an alleyway. As they thought, there were two teams fighting. One of them was an eighteen-year-old teen carrying a blizzard blue spellbook with his partner being an anthropomorphic porcupine. The other was an old man carrying a green book beside a bike with his partner being a ten-year-old boy_ _with blonde hair fashioned in a pompadour. From the looks of it, the old man and the empowered young boy were losing._

"_Those, what did you call them, "gears" don't seem to be helping that much." The white porcupine chastised, his emerald eyes glinting with ferocious intent. He looked over his shoulder at this bookkeeper, "Zale?" The black-haired young adult nodded, "All right, Shine." The blizzard blue spellbook glowed in his arm, "Diamzuga."_

_The blonde Mamodo turned his partner and shouted, "Jed! Raise the gear! Hurry!" Jed gritted his teeth and said lamentably, "I can't, Ted…I haven't stored enough heart energy yet." Ted turned back to his opponent who had turned his arm into a diamond cannon and was aiming. "Shoot." He said under his breath and reassumed his boxing stance._

"_Gigano Ave Shield!"_

_From the ground in front of Ted, a stone battlement with a steel, intricate medieval shield was erected and intercepted the powerful blast from Shine's Diamzuga. "What's this?" Jed exclaimed as Zale narrowed his eyes contemptuously. _

"_What the…?" Ted said in soft tone, utterly surprised to see the defense spell as it receded back into the ground. "Working hard or hardly working, Ted?" Nylon walked up to the ten-year-old demon and placed a hand on his shoulder. Ted looked to see Nylon, and his blue eyes widened in surprise, "Nylon? Oh man! Am I glad to see you!"_

"_Hey, Ted. You know this cat?" Jed asked curiously, shoving his free hand into his pocket. Ted turned to his bookkeeper and stated happily, "Do I? Nylon here is my best friend from the Mamodo World!" Ted then noticed that Izo was standing by Jed and pointed out, "You his book owner?" _

"_Ah!" Jed jumped in surprise when he noticed Izo was standing patiently beside him._

"_Yes, that would be me," Izo said, unfazed by Jed's outburst, and introduced himself, "The name's Izo Uramori."_

"_Hey! Weaklings!" Shine called out to them impatiently, "Did you forget that I'm here?" Izo, Nylon, Ted, and Jed all turned to their opponents. "Newcomers," Zale spoke, "Identify yourselves please."_

"_Nylon Ishuzumai." The silver-haired knight replied as he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Shine. Izo withdraw the dark brown spellbook as he too replied, "And Izo Uramori. Pleasure to meet you, sirs." _

_The blizzard blue spellbook in Zale's arm started to glow more brightly. He brought the book up and opened it, one of his indications that his subsequent spells were powerful. "Zale Schwazden is my name, and my partner is Shine. Now let's resume." Shine wore a feral grin as Nylon and Ted prepared themselves._

"_Careful, Nylon…" Ted cautioned, "That guy is tough. Like really tough. I'm already at my fourth gear, and he's withstood all my attacks and countered with really strong blows. My back's against the wall."_

"_Go Diamonruk."_

_Shine's whole body was covered in diamonds as his quills straightened, claws grew, and his actual disappeared in order to leave the white sclera. It was feral transformation indeed. "Now, here I come!" Shine shouted as he charged with increased speed._

"_Garudo Shigeru!" Izo shouted the spell. Nylon's "guillotine" was summoned in his hand: a large, black, double-headed battle axe with rounded blades—which had silver cutting edges and one was slightly higher than the other. Nylon charged himself and swung vertically, only for Shine to block the attack with the mass of diamonds where his hand would be. _

_Nylon balked because he had yet met someone who could stopped a swing of his guillotine was easily. This Mamodo had extraordinary strength, that was for sure. Shine smirked as he said as he threw away the weapon, "Too soft!"_

"_Yeah? Well, I won't be!" Ted suddenly appeared in-between Nylon and Shine. He then rapidly threw punch after punch, yelling in effort as he tried to his enhanced strength to break that layer of diamond. _

"_Oh man. That's unreal!" Izo commented in amazement. Jed smiled as he explained, "That's the power of Forusu Nagur, the fourth gear. You see, Ted' spells are linked together. I have to start the engine with Doraguna Nagur, then go up from there. I can't start off with the most powerful gear. It just doesn't work like that." _

"_Piss off!" Ted hollered as he pulled his fist back and launched a good one to Shine's face. "Agh!" Shine exclaimed as he skidded back. A good number of fragments fell from his diamond armor, showing the wounds that were made from the onslaught. "Ohh. Now, I'm starting to see the efficiency of those gears." Zale spoke his thoughts. He couldn't tell previously since Shine had the edge in the battle despite how many gears Ted and Jed went through._

"_Your point?" Shine responded. To his surprise, Go Diamonruk was dispelled, and he turned to normal. "I know which spells should be used." Zale answered and then casted, "Ariza Diamzen." _

_Shine raised his hand and shot a small beam into the sky. A red, white, and blue aurora was summoned above the battlefield and heavy diamond stalactites began falling toward the four. _

"_Oh man! He didn't use this before!" Ted exclaimed. His physical strengthening spells had little effect against crowd-control spells. Nylon gritted his teeth—his spells were designed for straightforward, close quarters combat as well. "Ted, Nylon, let's cut our losses and get the hell out of here!" Izo admonished as Jed mounted his bike_.

"_Running away? There's no escape!" Shine said derisively. Zale sighed as he closed the book, "Let's leave it at that, Shine. I'm almost out of heart energy anyway." The emerald-eyed Mamodo exhaled sharply, "Fine then. But I want to see if these last stalactites will hit." _

_Ted got in front of Izo and Jed and threw two punches at some stalactites, which broke into pieces. Nylon did similarly, slashing them with Garudo Shigeru. "Ted! Quit playing around and get on! Izo, Nylon, you two!" Jed shouted, and Izo unquestioningly hopped on._

_Nylon and Ted, after fending off more stalactites that threatened them, followed up, and Jed hauled tail out of there at around eighty miles per hour._

"Ted happens to be one a regular at my orphanages back in the Mamodo World," Nylon continued to tell, "It was the first time we met since the battle began. He's the one who wants to know where Cherish is."

"Oh that's right," Harumi stated, "I forgot you owned a chain of rescues homes back at your world." Harumi looked at the swordsman hopefully and inquired, "Mr. Nylon, could you tell us more?"

Right as when he was about to, all of them suddenly heard someone collapse and then someone shouting, "Hey! Someone give the rookie some water!" As predicted, Curtis collapsed from exhaustion during the practice.

Harumi, Nylon, and Izo held their open hands toward Gretchen and Haruko, "Pay up."

* * *

><p>"Go Airzuruk!"<p>

An aura the same color as his book surrounded Talon. His overall size increased slightly as his entire head, upper torso, and the parts of his wings nearest to his torso were adorned with gold-white armor. His tail feathers also lengthened slightly, and his wing feathers sharpened based on visual interpretation.

"Ko kaw!" Talon screeched mightily as his transformation completed. Kiyo's eyes widened slightly as he thought, _"An armor spell…just like Ponygon's…"_

"AHH!"

In literally the blink of an eye, Zatch was rammed by the Go Airzuruk-induced Talon. Kiyo's shock increased tremendously. This bird was _much_ faster than Ponygon! "ZATCH!" The dark-haired student yelled as Talon brought the blonde Mamodo into the air with him, and then slammed him harshly on the ground.

Marjorie laughed vindictively, "I told you that you would need to change up your game against us." Talon hovered beside his bookkeeper, chuckling just as spitefully. Kiyo ran over to the grounded Zatch and knelt beside him to check his welfare, "Zatch! Speak to me!" Zatch weakly rose to his rose, "I'm..alright…Kiyo…"

"Talon," Marjorie called out sternly to her avian Mamodo who looked at her, "Les terminas, por favor." Talon nodded, turned back to Zatch and Kiyo, and flapped his winds. Air currents brewed in their direction, blinding and discombobulating them. "He can manipulate air, too?" Kiyo spoke his thoughts aloud.

"Sorry, Bao, I'm afraid you have disappointed us." Marjorie declared, "Ar—"

"Raja Ieruga!"

Suddenly, a huge beam of black energy engulfed Talon as the bird screeched in agony. The attack also put a stop to the violent air currents. "Que diablos?" Marjorie exclaimed in shock. Zatch and Kiyo were equally shock, but when they looked to see their saviors, they were instantly relieved.

"Ang! E!"


	18. Chapter 18: Saviors Yet Again

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru, Haruko, Izo Uramori, Myriam Schwazden, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, Shine, Zale Schwazden, Thoria, Cassandra, Vini, Amanda, Phoebe, Samantha, Phantom, Isaac, Marjorie Barragán, and Talón.

**Chapter 18: Saviors Yet Again**

"I'm sure someone taught all of you that it is poor character to fight in a public park." E chastised with crossed arms. "But, but, but! They started it!" Zatch responded with a whine, pointing childishly and accusingly at Marjorie and the agonized, grounded Talon. "Hmm…If you say so." E said as he floated beside Zatch. "But, boy, am I glad to see you two!" Zatch exclaimed happily.

"Kiyo, are you alright?" Angelica ran to the fourteen-year-old boy. "Yeah, thanks for showing up." Kiyo replied appreciatively. It was then he noticed something: Ang had a change of attire. Her new clothing consisted of a long-sleeved, navy blue business shirt with a pink shirt underneath it, a navy blue skirt, and dress shoes.

_"I'll explain later, Kiyo."_Angelica's voice echoed in Kiyo's mind followed by a giggle. Kiyo stared at the older human sheepishly, "R-Right, Ang." He had forgotten Angelica had telepathy.

"Koko kaw. (So they've converged at long last.)" Talon stated as he hovered back into the air. Marjorie gritted her teeth as the book in her arm glowed, "Who cares? Just get rid of them! Airzuruk!"

"Watch out!" Kiyo exclaimed, whipping his attention back to the battle. "Ieshun!" Angelica suddenly shouted, not making any bodily movements.

Everything happened suddenly. Talon had dashed expeditiously for both Zatch and E, but then a dark purple dome outlined with pink appeared in his way, and the avian Mamodo was blown away into a tree. "Wha-Talón!" Marjorie shouted, turning to where her partner was knocked away to.

"Nice shot, E!" Zatch complimented. E only nodded in acknowledgement. Kiyo turned to Angelica and said, "Wow, Ang, you reacted so quickly to that. You and E must have been training a lot." Angelica rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "Well, you caught us…Yes, E and I have been indeed training extensively as of late."

"What are you two been doing?" Kiyo inquired curiously.

"We meditate," Angelica answered, "We mediate by ourselves in calming environments, and we go to classes called 'mental fortitude' that help us develop our minds even more." Kiyo chuckled lightly. All of his friends around him were getting stronger and stronger each day. It was dizzying to compare them now to when he first met them.

Their conversation ended when Talon flew like a dart out of the bushes and into the air, eyeing at his two opponents predatorily. "Playtime is over." Marjorie declared, her voice decorated with a snarl of frustration. The Go Airzuruk-induced Talon dashed forth and whipped more air currents, but he utilized his speed to his advantage. He flew around Zatch and E at numerous angles and directions, creating realistic, confusing afterimages of himself in the wind.

_"Which one is the real one?"_ Kiyo thought, his dark eyes darting about to try and locate the real Talon. _"I can' tell; he's moving way too fast!"_Angelica mentally responded, doing the same.

"Airzurado!" Marjorie shouted. Suddenly, the wind stopped and the afterimages disappeared, being placed by two light blue blades of air. "Dodge!" Angelica and Zatch instructed them in unison. Both E and Zatch managed to jump over the blades. "Got you now," Marjorie smirked, "Garu Airzuruk!"

E and Zatch were unable to dodge as Talon flew in-between them, nicking them with the outer edges of the spiral around him. "That damn bird is just too fast!" Kiyo cursed. Angelica then said to him, "Then we'll have to shut down his speed somehow."

"Zatch and I tried that," Kiyo explained, "We used Jikerdor to magnetize Talon to a jungle gym, but as you can see, he has spells that don't have to do with himself."

"Then leave the trapping to me," Angelica volunteered with a reassuring smile, "I've got the perfect spell for the job." Kiyo nodded understandingly, "But finding the chance to use our strategy will be entirely circumstantial…"

Talon had just performed a wide loop in the air after successfully striking Zatch and E with Garu Airzuruk and was dive-bombing for them again.

"Zakeruga!"

"Ieruga!"

Zatch's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he discharged a concentrated beam of lightning toward the diving Talon. E's eyes glowed as he fired a thin beam of whitish psychic energy right beside it. Talon, however, easily sidestepped both spells and continued his descent toward them.

"Airzurusen! Airzurusen! Airzurusen!"

Talon opened his beak and unleashed three blasts of air for his two targets. "Rashield!" Kiyo read the defensive spell, and Zatch summoned a rectangular wall of lightning from the ground before him. "Zagurzem!" From his mouth, Zatch unleashed a small sphere of red light toward Rashield. The spell enhanced Rashield, doubling its size and adding an additional thunderbolt pendent on its face.

The three blasts of Airzurado connected against the Zagurzem-enhanced Rashield. With each shot, Rashield cracked and finally broke with the third one. Through the debris, Talon shot through, heading to Zatch and E yet again.

"Zatch! Grab him!" Kiyo yelled, seeing the opportunity arise. Zatch ducked underneath the avian and grabbed his tail feathers, stopping him cold. "I got you, you big bird!" The blonde six-year-old exclaimed as Talon squawked questioningly. "Now, Ang!" Kiyo gave the signal to the other human.

"Right!" Angelica stated as she casted a new spell, "Here we go, E! And jump back, Zatch! Aagusu Ieshuna!" As Zatch quickly released Talon and jumped out of the way, E outstretched his arm and fired a pinkish lightning bolt from him palm. When Talon was struck by it, a dark purple cage with a pink outline surrounded him whilst accommodating his height and size.

_"Whoa. It looks like the rest of E's spells,"_ Kiyo noted in his mind, _"But…it's not causing damage at all."_

_"That's because Aagusu Ieshuna is used purely for imprisonment and immobilization."_ Angelica explained to Kiyo telepathically, _"That bird is trapped for good now."_

"You think that lousy box can hold Talón? Don't make me laugh!" Marjorie said vindictively and then read another spell, "Airzurusen!" Talon opened his beak and fired a shot of air, but to his and Marjorie's surprise, the attack ricocheted inside the cage and struck Talon multiple times before dying away.

"God damn it all." Marjorie mumbled under her breath, slapping her hand onto her palm.

"I'm going to ask you politely one last time, Marjorie," Kiyo spoke sternly, now focusing intently on the older human, "What is going on? Why is Bao so important?"

Marjorie stared at him and responded, "My alignment and purpose is classified unfortunately, but I will tell you this…Bao is needed to open an important lock." Kiyo blinked, "A lock?"

"Stop being so ambiguous and tell us straightforward." Angelica stated impatiently. Marjorie shot her a tart look, "This is your first warning: _don't_tell me what to do." E looked at the older women and stated curtly, "That's a very immature idiosyncrasy, especially for someone for your supposed age."

Marjorie noticeably clutched the antique white spellbook harder due to frustration. If only Talon wasn't stuck in such a bad position, she would shred these newcomers to ribbons. It was then she realized that Talon did have a type of spell, one that didn't matter if he was imprisoned or not.

"Fine then. Think what you will." She said as she flipped pages in the book to find it, "Let's see how you fare against our strongest one!" Intense light burst from the book as Marjorie shouted, "Gigano Wigaruga!"

Talon suddenly released a loud screech, a screech that seemed to echo all the way to the heavens. His cry stirred the skies, a spiral mass of cloud forming. The winds picked up, trying to take whatever it could with them. Zatch, Kiyo, Ang, and E all stood their ground to make sure they weren't caught in the raging winds. From the spinning clouds, a large, dark white tornado began its descent, threatening to slam upon Zatch and E.

"K-Kiyo!" Zatch cried out, shielding his eyes from the winds.

"Ang, do something!" E barked.

"Ang, you'll have to cancel your spell! Hurry!" Kiyo said, flipping pages in the red spellbook until he reached the spell he needed. "If you say so!" Angelica stated, canceling Aagusu Ieshuna, which consequently freed Talon who flew back to his bookkeeper, and prepared to say another spell.

"Here we go, Zatch! The fourth spell: Bao Zakeruga!"

Zatch's eyes rolled to the back of his head a sphere of electricity formed in his mouth. Then, a giant, lightning dragon formed. Bao Zakeruga roared its mighty roar, electricity surging from his its long body.

"Here comes the big one! Jio Ma Ieruga!"

E's green lenses flashed before illuminating intensely, discharging a large green beam. The beam then suddenly started to morph into something. Something long and menacing like Bao Zakeruga. What formed was a purplish-pink Naga-like creature. Its main body was long and slick with hints of scales decorating it. It arms were fairly long, capped out by long, sharp grey nails. The head of the creature literally possessed a mask of sharp nails with piercing golden eyes being the only thing visible behind it. Flowing from behind his face of blades was psychic energy flowing like hair. To finish it off, a pair of dark pink, demonic wings stretched from its back.

"Whoa! What kind of spell is that?" Kiyo exclaimed, shocked to see that the normally bright and happy Angelica and the reticent and reversed E had that sort of monstrosity of a spell in their repertoire.

"Jio Ma Ieruga," Angelica explained, smirking, "You could say it's like fast-moving version of Dioga Teoieshun in animal form. It's when we really want to teach our opponents a lesson."

The thunder dragon and the psychic Naga rushed for the descending tornado, and all three attacks clashed. However, the combined might of the powerful animal spells was too much for the measly wind system. A few power surges rocked the area when Gigano Wigaruga suddenly disappeared, having finally lost to Bao Zakeruga and Jio Ma Ieruga.

"Wh-What?" Marjorie exclaimed in utter shock as Talon felt dread sprouting in his avian body, "N-No way!"

"GO!" Kiyo and Angelica shouted as Bao Zakeruga and Jio Ma Ieruga turned to Marjorie and Talon and rushed for them.

"AHH! Get us out of here, Talón!" Marjorie screamed pleadingly. Talon was only grateful that Go Airzuruk had not worn off after all this time. Because of such, he was able to swoop up his distraught trainer and use the major boost in speed to hightail it out of there. And they just barely escaped the explosion radius that was created when Bao Zakeruga and Jio Ma Ieruga connected against the ground.

It took several minutes for the upheaval to settle down, showing off the scarred remains of the battle once the dust subsided. The park would be out of commission for awhile, that was for sure.

Zatch and Kiyo breathed a heavy sigh of relief as they collapsed to the ground. Angelica hunched in her stance, panting laboriously. E was the only one that seemed fine after the endeavor, given by how he asked, "Is everyone all right?"

"Yeah," Kiyo answered, "I'll just be out of heart energy for some time. Man, that was rough…"

"I'll say," Angelica stated, straightening, "But at least we made it in time."

"Which brings me to the next issue," E said, "What was all that about?"

Kiyo stood on his feet as he put away the red spellbook, "Her and her partner's names were Marjorie Barragán and Talón. They wanted to test us for some reason…and it had to do with Bao, or Bao Zakeruga. She said it was important for a lock of some sorts."

"That makes no sense in all honesty." E remarked bluntly, crossing his arms.

"Uh, Kiyo?" Angelica spoke sheepishly, causing Kiyo, E, and Zatch to look at her questioningly, "Before we go on, because I have more questions to ask, let's get out of here before someone catches us."

It was then they realized how damaging the battle was as they sheepishly looked at the marred Mochinoki Park. If someone were to catch them, minutes after the calamity, things would not be pretty. "Uhh, right." Kiyo said.

"Come on, let's go to my car!" Angelica exclaimed as she jogged off. "You drive now?" Kiyo questioned, following. "Don't worry; she's horrible." E stated matter-of-factly as Zatch followed whilst laughing at his joke.

Some things never change.

**Author** **Notes**

If I recall correctly, I think this is the shortest chapter in the story. I wonder why...

Aw well, doesn't matter. Hopefully, now that Marj and Talon have been defeated, I can steer this story into the direction I've projected. I also would like to thank each and every person who took time to review and read this story. You guys and girls rock!

Adios and adieu for now!


	19. Chapter 19: Incomprehensible

**Author Notes**

First off, I will say there is a bit of novelization in this story, specifically the scene in the anime/manga where the doll-like emissary speaks to Zatch and Kiyo. Of course, I integrated parts of this story into that certain scene. And I would like to thank those who have reviewed up to this point. You rock!

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru, Haruko, Izo Uramori, Myriam Schwazden, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, Shine, Zale Schwazden, Thoria, Cassandra, Vini, Amanda, Phoebe, Samantha, Phantom, Isaac, Marjorie Barragán, and Talón.

**Chapter 19: Incomprehensible **

Talon, still in his Go Airzuruk form, flew his exhausted partner over the skies of Mochinoki City. He asked her, "Ko kaw? (Are you feeling well, Marjorie?)" The Spanish women replied simply, "Just fine." She then added in, "There's Phantom and Isaac." Nodding, the avian Mamodo swooped down until they reach the rooftop of a particular building.

"Was he to satisfaction?" Phantom inquired with neither him nor Isaac turning to look at them.

"Yeah, I guess he's what Leo talked about." Marjorie answered, getting off Talon as Go Airzuruk dispelled. The bird then roosted on Marjorie's falconry glove. "Too bad the little prick got last-minute help…"

"The outcasts are infamous for converging against stronger ones," Phantom explicated, "even at the most inopportune of times."

"I realize that, and it's a damn shame too." Marjorie groused, putting away the antique white spellbook, "I'm gonna be out of heart energy a considerably long time, Phantom and Isaac."

"That is an unfortunate denouement, mademoiselle," Isaac stated pityingly, turning to their fellow team, "so allow us to grace the stage and take over the act. Soon enough, Lord Leo will finally enact his strategy, and we can nab whichever cursed one whom we will call ally."

"It's taking him an awfully long time." Marjore noted impatiently.

"He's probably overdoing himself again," Phantom conjectured apathetically, "going through all that trouble just to recruit enough people for that accursed lock." Isaac looked at his dark partner curiously, "Oh?" Phantom continued, "In the span of a couple of weeks, we've had three cursed ones confirmed. Now, he's looking to do two more. While I am duly loyal to him, his methods are repulsively questionable."

Marjorie looked off to the side as she muttered, "So you feel the same way…"

"I wasn't aware someone shared my sentimentalities." Phantom stated vacantly, chuckling without emotion. When the wind brewed, his large, tattered cloak billowed ominously. "Hm. Isaac, it is time. Let us go collect our ally and be out of this wretched town."

"You're in luck, Marjorie and Talon," Isaac said, turning to them, "You get to be the audience to a grand finale. Leave the rest to us, if you please." Marjorie waved off them off dismissively, "Just don't take too long and don't lose either. Leo will be all over our asses if you two were to disappear during the recruitment stage."

Phantom enlarged to the point it covered himself and his bookkeeper. It circled and swirled around the two characters until they disappeared, leaving the dark Mamodo's words in the word, "Rest easy. They are the ones who should worry…"

* * *

><p>"First and foremost, Ang, have you heard about the recent sightings of a strange structure?"<p>

Angelica, Kiyo, Zatch, and E were now riding the former's black, hoodless sports car, now on the way to the Takamine Residence to discuss their battle plans further. The two humans were located in the front seat with the Mamodo in the back.

"I'm afraid I haven't…" Angelica responded demurely, "I've been too busy with other things to actually notice."

"Angelica has been away from Odaiba, even the Tokyo area, for a few weeks prior to now in order to further her efforts towards becoming a psychologist," E explained, "Apparently, she got accepted into a high-ranked technical university. They have extensive prerequisites she needed to attend to while balancing the classes she takes now in high school."

"Sounds like a lot of work, Ang," Kiyo pointed as Zatch innocently played with Vulcan.

"It is…" Angelica groaned exhaustedly, slumping over comically, "The college also required my SAT and ACT scores. Unfortunately, I had not taken them, so that meant more and more studying for me. Put the training E and I have been doing in-between my studies. And if I do get accepted, that means I'll literally be graduating high school this very year even though I'm just a junior and start next year…Uch, I'm just exhausted…"

"ANG, GET BACK IN THE LANE!"

Angelica straightened back up and screamed when she realized the car was in the wrong lane. She immediately turned the wheel, swerving back to the right lane before the oncoming car got too close. "SORRY!" She shouted apologetically to the passing car.

Kiyo, meanwhile, was breathing heavily as if he just recovered from a heart attack. "Told you she was a horrible driver…" E grumbled, slumping into his seat. "You really _are_ tired, Ang…" Kiyo mumbled fearfully.

"AHH! Vulcan fell under the seats!" Zatch whined, scurrying to recover his fallen toy.

* * *

><p>"You know, I'm quite surprised Curtis didn't throw up yet." Izo quipped, idly tossing a full Gatorade bottle up and down in his free hand.<p>

"That's actually impressive," Nylon commented, sitting on the hood of Izo's car, "Usually, rookies regurgitate after the first day of activity for a strenuous sport like track."

Izo, Nylon, Gretchen, Harumi, and Haruko were stationed at the parking lot of the school in front of the Athletic Complex. They were lounging around their cars that were parked side-by-side to each other, waiting for Curtis to appear.

"Told you he had a knack for it!" Harumi boasted proudly with a grin, "See, I know when I see talent for a specific something!" Haruko was sitting on the front of Harumi's car, kicking her feet idly in the car as her bookkeeper continued, "And guess who's next in my sights?"

"I'm scared to ask who." Izo replied jokingly. Harumi chuckled at his joke and proceeded to say anyway, "Our good friend Ang! And the sport is tennis!"

"Pft, what?" Nylon and Gretchen exclaimed questioningly, sniggering.

"I would like to know where did that idea come from?" Izo asked casually.

"Oh, come off!" Harumi argued, "We all know Ang needs to relieve some stress from all that damn work she's doing! Besides, have you seen the legs on her? She screams 'tennis player'!"

When Harumi mentioned Angelica's legs, Izo balked comically, oafishly dropping the Gatorade bottle as a crimson tint. "Uh, uh, I-I'm afraid not!" He stammered clumsily, picking up the drink. "Take deep, even breaths, Izo." Nylon instructed, smirking and suppressing his snickers. "Shut up, Nylon!" Izo shouted in retort.

Gretchen only sighed at them. From the corner of her celestial blue eyes, she saw Curtis finally making his way out of the Athletic Complex. But, strangely, he looked like he was in a hurry based on his quick strides. _"Something is wrong." _She thought.

Curtis finally made it to the cars. He was dressed in his normal attire and was carrying a black sports bag that was hung over his shoulder. Based on how the sun reflected off his hair, it seemed he had taken a quick shower. "Yo, guys!" He greeted, coming to a stop.

"Ah, Curtis, your timing is impeccable." Izo noted.

"Yeah, yeah, that's nice and all," Curtis spoke dismissively and then said as he placed his sports bag on the hood of his car, "But we all gotta talk about somethin'." Izo, Gretchen, Harumi, and Haruko all looked at him curiously, allowing him to continue. "I trust that ya'll know about that Mamodo structure thing, right?" He surveyed.

"Izo and I saw about that while we were at the tournament." Nylon announced, getting off the roof of Izo's car and landing on the pavement. Harumi eyed all of them, "Are you guys sure that's a Mamodo structure?" She asked incredulously.

"You'll believe me after I say this," Curtis said seriously, "That shit is gone."

"Gone?" Gretchen exclaimed questioningly, "What do you mean gone, Curtis?"

"Gone as in someone pulled a freakin' Harry Houdini on it!" Curtis clarified, "One day, it's there. Now, reporters said on the TV in the locker room it ain't there no more!"

"Okay. It must be a Mamodo sort of thing, then." Harumi admitted, cupping her chin thoughtfully.

"It would explain why the activity of Mamodo has been shifting…" Nylon muttered forebodingly, crossing his arms austerely. Haruko looked at the knight worriedly and said, "Y-You've noticed too, Mr. Nylon?"

"I'm sure we all have," Gretchen spoke, "Not just us three, but others like E, Zatch, Ponygon; all of them."

"That is troubling information, indeed," Izo said, "But I'm afraid there isn't much else that we can do. It's a scenario I hate being in, but we can only wait until something in our power can occur."

"I hate being in that situation too," Harumi huffed as she went into her car and withdrew a journal and pen, "So, go over what information you guys have on the structure. I wanna archive it." Everyone repeated what they knew, which was very little and stuff everyone else more than likely knew themselves, as Harumi write it all down. "Okay. Got it." She announced.

"So ya'll need to be careful out there. Shit sounds like it's fin to go down." Curtis warned as he popped the trunk of his car and tossed his sports bag into it. "Duly noted, Curtis," Izo replied as he tossed the Gatorade bottle to him, "That's for you by the way. Great job."

"Whoo, thanks!" Curtis said appreciatively as he caught the bottle, opened the orange cap, and downed a bit of the refreshing liquids. "I was half-expecting you to become dehydrated during the session." Harumi announced with a teasing smirk. "I fell out like two times!" Curtis said defensively, "I was okay for the most part! Cut a brotha some slack!"

"We will," Gretchen stated with a smile on her face, "Of course...it seems you have regained your stamina back."

"Not entirely." Curtis admitted sheepishly, "As long as I don't do nothing strenuous, I'll be aight."

"Excellent!" Harumi piped in blithely, "And, because I have all my wonderful friends back in town, I propose we go spend some time together!" Haruko looked at her and questioned, "Um, Harumi? Aren't Angelica-san and Mr. E away still?"

"Nope!" The blonde high school student proudly announced, "In fact, she came into town late last night."

"What?" Izo and Curtis exclaimed in surprise, "Why didn't you tell us that?"

"You never asked," Harumi simply responded with a shrug of her shoulders. The two teens deadpanned at her with Gretchen shaking her head as Nylon and Haruko respectively chuckled and giggled.

* * *

><p>After surviving the drive, Angelica, Kiyo, Zatch, and E converged in Kiyo's bedroom inside the Takamine Residence. Posted on the wall near his study were assortments of pictures of the cryptic Mamodo World structure.<p>

"I see you've been analyzing the thing quite raptly." E noted, leaning against the wall beside the bed in which Angelica was sitting on.

"Yeah," Kiyo responded, sitting in his office chair backwards, "Whatever that structure is, it's related to the change in activity of the Mamodo. A lot of strange things have been happening as of late."

"So you've noticed…" E muttered, peering at Kiyo through the rim of his black hat. Kiyo chuckled, "I should've known an introvert like you, E, would notice immediately." E responded, "It's not just that, Kiyo…the atmosphere, even the breeze, became tense after the announcement of that structure's existence. A Mamodo with even a shred of my senses could tell that."

"But, at the same time, things are too quiet to make radical suppositions." Angelica chimed in, "E and I haven't actually engaged in anything Mamodo-related during the time frame of our trip barring training."

"Zatch and I have." Kiyo proclaimed, eyeing the blonde, innocent boy sipping his orange juice childishly. Angelica and E looked at him curiously as a means to get him to continue, "First off, a few weeks back, a Mamodo team by the name of Arth and Elly challenged us and told about two great threats. Then, more recently, and me and Zatch went to meet another team, Rein and Kyle, where this other team, Rodeux and Chita, wanted to make Rein their ally for something…"

Angelica was mystified at the information while E maintained his stern, recent disposition, quietly ruminating on the bothersome subject. Before either of them could say anything else, Kiyo's mom called out, "Kiyo! You have a phone call waiting for you!"

"Coming!" Kiyo yelled back in response and rose from his seat, "Excuse me for a sec, you two." The brownish-black haired male excused himself from the bedroom. "Hold on! Wait for me, Kiyo!" Zatch exclaimed, frantically following his bookkeeper.

Once the two were gone, E released a heavy sigh, causing Angelica to say, "Stressed?" E shook his head, "No. Just pensive." Angelica looked to her Mamodo partner solemnly. Just then, she felt her cell phone vibrate. "Oh! Hold on, E." She said as she withdrew the device and answered, putting the caller on speakerphone, "This is Angelica Tsukoro. How may I help you?"

"Girl, you ain't got to get formal with me! It's yo boy!"

"Along with your girl!"

"You really should've told Curtis and me that you had returned since Harumi likes to withhold that sort of stuff."

A bright smile graced Angelica's face as she responded sprightly, "Hey, guys! It's good to hear from you all!" Hearing her best friends again was like a panacea to the stress she had been enduring from the work. "And sorry about that. That's actually because Harumi texted me first before I fell out from I got last night."

"Is Mr. E there?"

"I'm sure he is."

"Yeah, he shouldn't be far from his bookkeeper! Let's here the little alien speak!"

E sighed sharply at Nylon's quip, thinking about how much he hated when someone denounced him as an alien despite the fact he was not. Nonetheless, he replied gratingly, "I'm here, so don't stress yourselves."

"Anyway, Ang," Harumi spoke, "Since every one of us is officially back in town, you feel like having a sort of reunion?"

Angelica contemplated on the proposition. While it had been a while since her circle of friends engaged in leisure activity, the matters at hand kept her perturbed. But, then again, she was available immediately after she finished her meeting with Kiyo. "Okay. I'll be free in about thirty, forty minutes." She said, "Where are we meeting?"

"We're going to the movies, homegirl!" Curtis answered. "I'm sure it fits both you and E since the latter likes dim environments." Gretchen said with a tinge of humor, triggering another audible sigh from the psychic Mamodo.

Izo then decided to move onto another, more serious subject, "In addition to catching up with you, we also called to ascertain your welfare, seeing as the activity of Mamodo has shifted according to what Nylon, Gretchen, and Haruko are telling us."

"_Them, too, huh?"_ E thought, now fully interested in the subject.

"Yes, I know," Angelica said, "But your concerns are appreciated. Anything else I need to know?"

"I don't know if you and E know 'bout this yet," Curtis spoke, "There's this strange-ass tower in the Resuka range that we think is linked to the Mamodo World. And if you do know, get this: it disappeared like magic."

An indescribable feeling washed through E and Angelica upon that revelation. It confirmed fears and doubts but concurrently added to their burdensome thoughts. _"What else could happen next?"_ They said in their minds.

"Let's not talk about that," Angelica firmly said, deciding to take a step back, "I just want to concentrate on what movie we're viewing later today." She then heard rushed footsteps approaching the door and instantly assumed Kiyo was coming back. "I'll talk to you guys in a bit. Sayonara!" She said, ending the call. Just in time, too, as Kiyo had reentered the room.

"I assume something is wrong since people mainly don't charge into a room like that," E reasoned, watching as Kiyo hurriedly fiddled with his computer at his study.

"Wonrei and Li-En have gone missing…" Kiyo announced, much to the shock and horror of Angelica and E, "That was Doctor Riddles who was on the phone. He checked out the village and found out that out. Now, he sent me a picture detailing who villagers saw on the eve of their disappearance."

Angelica and E curiously removed themselves from their positions and looked over the shoulders of Kiyo and Zatch to see the picture on the computer screen. "Okay, the download's finished," Kiyo announced, manipulating the mouse in order to open the file, "These are the guys who appeared before Wonrei and Li-En vanished."

The file opened and revealed a picture of burly, black-haired man with a set of wings and strange line markings, and a slim young woman with a scary-looking mask fragment. Angelica and E only stared at the screen in bewilderment, finding the duo odd for their appearance. Kiyo and Zatch, however, felt dread brewing within them, not too dissimilar from the feeling Ang and E just experienced after hearing about the structure's supposed disappearance.

"Th-their…" Kiyo gaped.

"…Rodeux and Chita…" Zatch spoke after his dry thought managed to form the words.

A unsteady breeze, full of the tension E previously talked about, swept through the air and into the room via the open window, making the pale yellow curtains dance helplessly. "What's…going on here?" Kiyo asked aloud.

"Kiyo?" Angelica squeaked, finding herself succumbing to the tense atmosphere. "Zatch?" E looked at the Lightning Blonde curiously.

"They appeared before Wonrei, too…?" Kiyo said, gritting his teeth, "They might have been caught up in fighting Rodeux…but there's just no way he and Li-En could've lost to them!" Zatch's gazed dropped to the floor as he mumbled, "Something happened…that's for sure…"

"**Wonrei has become their ally."**

This particular voice was warped, echoing, and—most of all—sinister. The sudden appearance of said voice caused Kiyo, Angelica, Zatch, and E to immediately turn around in shock. Behind them was odd creature; the best description for it would to call it a doll, but even then, it was so unique, an accurate categorization was nearly impossible to find. Its silver mane and pale yellow cloak swayed in the imaginary breeze, much like the one that just entered the room. Worst of all, its presence casted a dark, foreboding aura to the point the very room dimmed considerably.

"Who are you…?" Zatch and E demanded.

"Wh-When did you…" Kiyo and Angelica stammered.

"**Wonrei is in the Mamodo World structure you seek."**

Annoyed by the doll's cryptic words, Zatch jumped off the office chair and demanded again, "Who are you?" E barked , adding in his own sentiments, "And what the hell are you talking about?"

"Calm down, you two," Kiyo said critically to the two Mamodo, "While his appearance is strange, it doesn't seem to want to fight…"

"**What you call the Mamodo World structure…"** the doll said with its ever-present, sharp-toothed grin on its face, pointing at the rendition of the mysterious tower on the wall behind them, **"…its real name is…Faudo." **

"Faudo?" The two sets of teams repeated the name, looking at that certain picture. Inexplicably, their hearts wrenched a little, another indication of the increased intension in the air.

"**In order to revive Faudo, a Mamodo called Leo has gathered powers."**

"Powers?" The Mamodo commented.

"Leo?" The humans said contemplatively.

"**In order to break the "key" that seals Faudo, Wonrei has added to their powers, becoming apart of the force that is gradually assembling." **

Zatch spoke heatedly, appalled at the words of the doll, "Wonrei would _never _ally himself with bad guys!"

"**The demon known as Leo possesses a special technique. He possesses wicked knowledge to transfer Faudo into the Human World. He uses this wicked technique to gather forces at Faudo, and I surmise he has the strength to force one last ally to their cause with this technique. The technique which Leo possesses is…a curse!" **

Kiyo, Angelica, E, and Zatch were absolutely aghast at this piece of information. Was this truly the threat that lied in wait inside the mysterious structure formally known as Faudo?

"**There are only few who have been cursed, but it is enough people to break the seal on Faudo. Also, those who have been cursed will lose their lives in four days. And there is no way to break the curse but to break the seal on Faudo. Unfortunately, killing Leo after he has cursed someone will not undo the curse itself. Faudo's revival is only a matter of time!"**

They could not tell if the doll was being sympathetic to them or not. His aura contradicted his tone. But, Kiyo knew one thing for certain, "Wonrei become their ally…in order to save Li-En's life…"

Suddenly, the cloak of the doll caught on fire, signaling its desire to leave the room. "Kiyo!" Zatch exclaimed in shock as a red-orange hue graced the dim room. The flames spread quicker than any wildfire they knew about. It seemed like that was all the info they were getting.

"**After four days…everything will end…"**

"Four days…" Kiyo said. He felt his heart race to the point he could count the heartbeats every passing second, symbolizing the doomsday clock of four days the doll had so 'generously' provided.

The doll laugh sinisterly at the flames engulfed the rest of it. "Wait, who are you? Who sent you?" Kiyo demanded. However, as predicted, it was too late. The doll was eaten up by the flames, but its evil laughter was overshadowed by the troubling thoughts of everyone in the room.

"Faudo…" Angelica spoke once everything was back to normal, or at least a semblance of normality.

E said seriously, "What really has me concerned is that it said this Leo person had enough strength to curse one last person. If it was no one we knew, it would not have bothered to tell us that…Who the hell could that person be?"

"We may not know who that gut was, but Wonrei and Li-En must be saved." Zatch said resolutely.

"Yes…" Kiyo growled, the bangs of hair shadowing his eyes, "A curse, he says…" He clenched his fist and swiftly turned to the computer screen that harbored the image of two agents of this Faudo Cult. "Absolutely unforgiveable!" He yelled, throwing his fist at the screen, a hollow echo sounding from impact that seemed to cut through the tense atmosphere.

But that tension would be replaced.

"So, you two have decided."

And this agent was not a strange but sinister doll, but rather strange but eccentric Mamodo. Kiyo, Angelica, E, and Zatch turned to see a female garbed in black, sitting cross-legged on the windowsill and nonchalantly eating a popsicle. "Before you even ask, my name is Mystrael, and I am going to test you." She said after withdrawing the half-eaten treat from her mouth.

"Test us?" Zatch exclaimed in wonderment.

"9:00 PM sharp, tonight," Mystrael set the stipulations, "Allow me to test to see if you two have what it takes to be King. And to see if you have what it takes to take on Faudo."

"_Her, too?"_ E grumbled in his mind.

"I advise punctuality," Mystrael suggested, grinning cryptically, "Either way, I _will_ test you…even if I must hunt you down."


	20. Chapter 20: To Each Their Own Struggle

**Disclaimer: **Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru, Haruko, Izo Uramori, Myriam Schwazden, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, Shine, Zale Schwazden, Thoria, Cassandra, Vini, Amanda, Phoebe, Samantha, Servor, Jerrod, Phantom, Isaac, Marjorie Barragán, and Talón.

**Chapter 20: To Each Their Own Struggle **

Angelica absentmindedly leaned against the wall of the lower floors of the terrace she lived in. Her onyx eyes were glazed with worry and uneasiness. Recently, she, Kiyo, Zatch, and E were called out by a mysterious opponent by the name of Mystrael. According to her instructions, if they didn't arrive at the directed time, consequences were sure to follow.

She checked her wristwatch. It was around 6 PM. She only hoped spending time with her friends wouldn't cause her to be late. She didn't want to fail Kiyo and Zatch like that. _"Now, if only these goofballs would hurry up."_ She thought.

Right on cue, a trio of different cars pulled into the parking lot of the terrace and parked in open spots. "What up, businesswoman?" Curtis hollered to her in greeting as he exited his car with Gretchen.

"Don't you look all spick and span?" Harumi commented, walking up with Haruko as she pressed a button on her key in order to lock her vehicle.

"Wonderful you see you again, Ang!" Izo said, he and Nylon together with the others.

Angelica smiled brightly as she replied, "It's so great to see you guys. It seems we never get to spend time with each other anymore."

"The same can be said for us Mamodo," Nylon sentimentalized as he looked at E levitating beside his bookkeeper, "I wasn't able to see my little buddy for weeks!" E sighed, "Nylon. You make it sound like I'm a children and younger than you. We're technically the same age."

"I could do without the biting remark, E." Nylon replied, frowning.

"Yeah, yeah, enough of all that now," Curtis spoke up, "Let's head out 'fore tickets get sold out! Oh, and don't forget to hide E in somethin'. Don't want the government to be on our asses when they find out we're harborin' an extraterrestrial." Everyone—even Gretchen—sparred a laugh at Curtis's joke that E kindly responded with a nasty glare.

Angelica giggled. She certainly cherished what these people had to offer, and she would do anything in her power to make sure it stayed that way. But she could only silently pray nothing bad would happen to them during this little Faudo incident.

"Okay! Who wants to drive?" Harumi spoke aloud and then quickly said, "Not me."

"Not me." Curtis quickly said as well.

"I'll do it then," Izo volunteered with a smile, "I'm sure Ang needs the respite." E then added in humorously, "That, and she cannot drive to save her own life. Or mine." Now, it everyone's turn to laugh at her, not minding the fact that the usually humorless and taciturn E cracked a joke. Angelica only pouted.

Everyone then situated themselves in Izo's car. Curtis took the front seat beside Izo in the driver seat. Angelica and Harumi sat in the subsequent backseats with E and Haruko, respectively, sitting in their laps. Nylon and Gretchen sat in the very back, preferring the extra room and space.

"Alright and off we go!" Izo announced as he put the vehicle in drive and speeded off.

"Alright, let's time debatin'," Curtis said, "What move we gon see? And no, Harumi and Ang, we ain't seein' no chick flick." Said girls whined indignantly, "And why not!"

"Cuz we guys don't wanna see no damn chick flick!" Curtis argued, "Well, we guys and Gretchen."

"Sure don't." The tomboy Mamodo in the back voiced her agreement. "Ugh, fine then," Harumi scoffed, "What do you propose then?" Izo stated, "Well, it has to be wholesome and for any type of crowd. Let's not forget, we have a minor in our midst."

"True that," Curtis responded, crossing his arms as he thought about a suitable movie in which they all could see, "…I got nothin'." His response made Gretchen and Harumi slap their foreheads with a negative nod. "Hush, don't say anything." The ecru-haired male warned.

"Oh! Oh!" Haruko said exuberantly, waving her arm, "Let's go see _Beauty and the Beast 3D_!"

"If I wanted to watch that, I could just borrow that from Izo's younger sister Yuko." Nylon compromised. "And she's already force me to watch it with her…" Izo admitted demurely.

"Then let's watch _The Grey_." Gretchen proposed with a tinge of hope that it would be what they would watch. "Ugh, hell no. That'll give me nightmares," Curtis objected, cringing, "I frickin' hate wolves!" Angelica added in shyly, "Uh, I-I feel uncomfortable watching it, too…" Gretchen sighed, mumbling inaudibly under her breath, "Wusses…"

"I got one!" Haurmi announced excitedly, "_Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game_!"

"There ya go! That mess is the word, ya heard!" Curtis voiced his agreement with great enthusiasm with Gretchen giving an approving nod.

"That'll do nicely." Izo said, smiling. "Hmm, I always did want to know why he's so famous…" Nylon said contemplatively. "Eh, I'm willing to give it a shot." Angelica stated. She spoke for both herself and E.

"Then it's decided!" Harumi and Haruko proclaimed in unison, "We're watching a detective movie!"

With that settled, they changed the subject with Curtis asking, "Hey, yo, Ang, how was the trip? You brain-dead yet?" Angelica laughed his joke and replied, "Not yet, Curtis. As you guys keep saying, I'm a nerd. We don't get brain dead from studying."

Harumi smiled widely, seeing this as the chance to coerce Angelica into playing tennis like Curtis was coerced into running track. "That reminds me of something," she said, "Ang, what type of stuff do you do besides studying and hanging out with us?"

"Nothing." E said bluntly, eliciting snickers from Nylon, Gretchen, and Curtis. Angelica sent a glare at him but nonetheless said nothing. "Maybe you should consider something else. Perhaps an extracurricular activity." Harumi articulated, and the others knew exactly where this was heading.

"Oh, no, no." Angelica objected hurriedly, "I have enough on my slate already. Studying is a chore in itself! I couldn't possibly balance something else with that."

"We can." Harumi, Izo, and Curtis all said in unison. And that response came from, respectively, an archer, a fencer, and a track runner who had, respectively again, a 3.4, a 3.7, and a 3.2 GPA. To top it all off, they were all participants in the Mamodo Fights like she was, and participating in practically the same leisure activities like she was.

"Come on, Ang," Izo persuaded, "I mean, weren't you the one that told me to not overdo things? To not always think about school?" That made Curtis remember something, "Oh yeah! Ya'll two met each other before any of us. Back in Hiroshima, right?" Izo nodded, smiling, "That's right."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you guys keeping secrets from us?" Nylon stepped in, genuinely curious to hear about this. "It's not a secret anymore now that they've said it to us." E stated matter-of-factly. "He has a point, Nylon." Gretchen agreed, grinning slightly. "Be quiet." Nylon huffed.

But before the storytelling could begin courtesy of Izo, Harumi still had a mission to accomplish, "Anyway. Izo's right, Ang! I mean, you don't wanna end like those bookworms that just commit suicide, do you?"

Angelica's onyx eyes dilated in paranoia as her skin turned pale, "W-Wait. WHAT?" She exclaimed frenziedly. This was her chance, Harumi thought, as her lips curved into a wicked smile. What was initially just a harmless, extemporaneous joke became her ticket to finally persuading Angelica into being a tennis player.

"Yeah, Ang!" Harumi said with mock shock, "I mean, you wanna be a psychologist! You all of people should know about this! People who study too much are basically prisoners of indoctrination. One tidbit of failure, and they slice their own throats from hysteria."

Angelica released a horrified scream that made everyone in the car jump from surprise. Izo temporarily lost control of his car since his sudden movement caused the wheel to turn counterclockwise. Once things were relatively calm again, speaking resumed.

"Damn, girl, it ain't that big a' damn deal!" Curtis berated his highly intelligent friend.

"Yes it is!" Angelica argued, "I _do not _wanna be like that! I have too much to live for! Okay, okay, I'll play tennis! I concede!"

"Alright! There we go!" Harumi said happily with a triumphant grin on her face. Nylon, Curtis, and Izo only sighed and thought simultaneously in their minds, _"Women are so strange…"_

* * *

><p>"Kiyo…I have a bad feeling about this…"<p>

Zatch spoke to Kiyo more demurely than usually as they made their way to the Mochinoki Town River Bed, the site where their 'test' would be held, with only a few minutes left until the appointed time given by Mystrael.

"You and I both, Zatch…" Kiyo stated, clutching the red spellbook tightly in his right arm, "She suddenly came out of nowhere…but she knows something, and we need to find out." He looked at the blonde child with a reassuring smile as he added, "And let's not forget. We have Ang and E on our side."

Zatch let a smile of his own appear on his face as he nodded, "Yeah, you're right!"

They descended down the concrete steps until they reached the actual river itself, stopping in the middle of the plain before the long body of water. They looked around and saw that no one was there. "I don't see Ang and E." Zatch said warily. "Or that Mamodo…" Kiyo said softly, equally pensive. He pulled back the sleeve of his shirt and checked the time on his wristwatch. "Two minutes left…" He announced.

"Sorry! We're really sorry we're late!"

Zatch and Kiyo turned and sighed in relief when they saw Angelica and E were making their way toward them. "Are we in time?" E asked carefully. "Yeah. _Just_ in time." Kiyo announced with a slight nod. Angelica exhaled in relief, "Thank goodness…I swear, Curtis, Izo, and Harumi will be the death of me one day."

"Hanging out, huh?" Kiyo said.

"Yeah," Angelica replied, "Harumi—one of my friends and classmates, and she has a partner named Haruko—decided to arrange a get-together with the others. I couldn't say no to them, but I almost was late because of them!"

"Then you shouldn't have gone," Zatch said innocently, causing E to laugh, Angelica to frown, and Kiyo to abruptly hit him on the head.

"Ah, so you did advocate punctuality. I'm impressed!"

The time for pleasantry was over as Kiyo, Zatch, Angelica, and E faced seriously the source of the proud voice: Mystrael. She was walking up with who they presumed to be her bookkeeper. She was wearing a lavish, straw sunhat that was decorated with an assortment of mint green and sky blue flowers and buds. The wide brim slightly shadowed her face. Her outfit consisted of a long, sleeveless, grayish-black dress that reminded them of the dresses Sherry would wear. A white bodice and sash embraced the upper part of the apparel.

"First off, mind telling me yours names?" Kiyo inquired.

"Since it was you that issued this challenge." Angelica pointed out as she withdrew the puce spellbook from her bag.

"Forgive me for my terrible manners then," Mystrael said with slight embarrassment and a chipper smile, "My name is Mystrael Cordiere." The young women beside her introduced herself, "And mine is Myriam Schwazden. Good evening, lady and gentlemen."

Zatch scratched the back of his head as he said contemplatively, "Uhh…Schwazden…Schwazden…Kiyo, that sounds familiar."

"It sound familiar because it happens to be the surname of a person you already know about," Myriam said, "His name is Zale."

"Wh-What?"! Angelica sputtered in shock, "A-Are you related to him or something?" Myriam smiled cryptically as she answered her, "Why yes, I happen to be his older sister."

Kiyo gritted his teeth as beads of sweat traveled down his head. He remembered fully well just how strong Zale and his partner, Shine, were. Now, he was apprehensive to think about the strength of these two—two ladies who were older and wiser than them. "Who are you? I wanna know." He finally asked, "Tell me everything you know."

"Ah-ah-ah!" Mystrael said mellifluously, wagging her finger like a metronome, "Until you pass your test, you don't get to know that information. Besides, the answers sound better for denouement rather than exposition."

"Gee. I didn't know a poet was in our midst." E said sarcastically as he and Zatch stationed themselves in front of their partners, who both opened their respective spellbooks. "Focus, E," Angelica said sternly, "The real thing starts now."

The red spellbook in Kiyo's hand glowed radiantly as he inputted heart energy into it, "Yeah. Now let's go! Zaker!" The puce spellbook glowed a bright purplish light as Angelica recited, "Ieruga!" Zatch's eyes rolled in the back of his head as his agape mouth released a spray of lightning. E's lenses glowed before releasing a beam of psychic energy in tandem with the electrical spell.

"Ready?" Myriam asked her partner, the lavender grey spellbook in her hands behind her back glowing. "Oh yes. That I am." Mystrael replied as she got into a battle stance. "Le Maboruk!" Myriam said without looking at the book, having memorized their current array of spells perfectly.

Mystrael's legs were suddenly covered in darkness. Kicking off her feet, the dark powers allowed to "skate" fluidly and rapidly across the surface as she elegantly dodged both Zaker and Ieruga—performing a sort of pirouette to dodge Ieruga and skating low to the ground to narrowly avoid Zaker.

"Great. She's a figure skater, too." E snarled in frustration, keeping his eyes on her intently. Suddenly, her speed increased as she closed the distance between herself, Zatch, and E. "Watch out!" Kiyo and Angelica exclaimed and prepared to cast some spells; however, Mystrael quickly spin kicked E, afterwards doing a regular kick unto Zatch that sent into the steps.

"_Man, she's agile!" _Kiyo thought in surprise. Once again, he was too slow to react before the mysterious women. "Rior Maboro." As Le Maboruk was canceled, Mystrael held out both hands to the opposing Mamodo and fired spear-like spirals of darkness toward them.

"Watch out, Zatch! Rashield!" Kiyo shouted.

"Ieshun!" Angelica followed suit with a spell of her own.

Just in time, Zatch erected a rectangular lightning shield to block the attack as a field of psychic energy too protected E. "Adequate reactivity." Mystrael remarked, like a teacher evaluating a new student.

"Zakeruga!"

"Ieruga!"

The two Mamodo recomposed themselves in time as their respective bookkeeper shouted those spells. A beam of concentrated electricity and a beam of whitish psychic energy flew toward Mystrael. However, she was prepared as Myriam said, "Buru Maboruk."

Darkness coated Mystrael's cloak, endowing them with a dark purplish outline. It split apart and took the form of two bat-like wings. Quickly, she thrust herself into the air with her new set of wings as both spells inadvertently struck each other, nullifying one another into oblivion.

"Oh, great…" Kiyo groaned as he watched Mystrael hover in the air. "I got this," Angelica said, "Aruk! Soru Iera!" In a quick flash of pink, E teleported behind the airborne Mystrael. His arms glowed as blades of psychic energy formed, and he swiped them. However, Mystrael sensed it and performed an aerial back-flip to dodge the attack. "Darn it!" Angelica exclaimed in frustration.

"Zagurzem!"

Out of nowhere, a sphere of red and yellow light was discharged and struck Mystrael's right wing as she was distracted with E at the moment. "What?" She said in shock with Myriam narrowing her eyes. Her wing gained a light yellow shade was electricity crackled in it.

"Got her!" Zatch announced from his position, atop the slope. "That's one." Kiyo said cautiously. Angelica gawked at the phenomenon and asked, "Kiyo. What did you do?" He looked at her and explained, "Zagurzem is a sort chain spell. Whatever it touches is stored with electricity that powers up any of our electrical spells. Right now, I'm saving it for later and see if I store anymore."

"Ok," Angelica, directing her attention back to the battle, "I'll let you know if I can spot any chances myself."

Mystrael examined her right wing, laden with electricity, with a curious look on her face as she stated, "Zagurzem, huh…? I will admit, you caught me by surprise with this spell." Myriam then spoke up, "Mystrael, I believe that's enough playing around. Let's get things started already."

"Not yet, Myriam," Mystrael responded to her bookkeeper, "One more attack spell and then we can start."

"Fine then." The adult woman said as the lavender grey spellbook glowed once more, "Mabro Chansen!" From Mystrael's fingertips, a group of chains of darkness capped by metal barbs resembling the beak of a raven were shot toward them, the ones from the right hand going to E and the ones from left targeting Zatch.

"Careful, Zatch! Watch where they last out carefully!" E instructed the younger Mamodo, quickly levitating backwards to dodge the first one. "Okay!" Zatch replied, jumping off the incline in time just as a chain smashed on the ground he previously stood on.

"Keep your eyes peeled, you two!" Kiyo directed the two from his position, watching them warily.

When Zatch and E dodged more the chains, a smirk suddenly appeared on Mystrael's face. _"Got them."_ Flexing her wrists slightly, two chains burst from the ground right below Zatch and E, catching them completely by surprise. The pointed ends jabbed both Mamodo right in their chest with powerful force.

"What? She hid two of them underground!" Kiyo exclaimed in shock.

"Oh, that is so cheap!" Angelica fretted in frustration.

However, their Mamodo was not as easily wavered. Ignoring the pain, they grabbed the chain and gripped it tautly. "You can't run now!" E and Zatch shouted at the same time. Initially, Mystrael was surprised, but her bravado returned when she smiled again and said, "Who said I was going to?" She simply sent the remaining chains toward them, "You guys can't run either!"

"Zatch, aim at the chains!" Kiyo instructed, pointing with two fingers in his signature style. "You too, E!" Angelica said afterwards.

"Zaker!"

"Aagusu Ieshuna!"

Zatch's eyes rolled to the back of his head as his mouth unleashed a spray of lightning. The Zaker spell surged through the chain he was grabbing and approaching Mystrael at an alarmingly fast rate. Likewise, the pink lightning E let loose from his hands did the same.

"Careful, Mystrael!" Myriam exclaimed, "You might want to stop your assault and save yourself!"

"Cancel the spells! Hurry!" Mystrael shouted frantically, unable to move all the chains since Zatch and E had a firm hold on one each. Quickly, Myriam ceased to input heart energy into Buru Maboruk and Mabro Chansen. Consequently, both spells disappeared in wisps of darkness, but that saved Mystrael from possible agony both spells. Her cloak, however, in replacement of her wing, possessed the effects of Zagurzem.

"Aw, darn it. We had her!" Kiyo groused in disdain.

"Our agreement, Mystrael?" Myriam said pointedly, reminding her of what they said before she casted Mabro Chansen.

Mystrael nodded as she said, "Fine, fine." She casted an ominous look toward all four of them in way that made their spines tingle, "It's time we put them to the test…"

* * *

><p>"Ahh, what a day…"<p>

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it? Though, what up with everyone havin' to leave early?"

Harumi, Curtis, Haruko, and Gretchen were all in the parking lot of Curtis's terrace. They were sharing one last conversation before they would officially let each other go for the day.

"It was kind of strange," Haruko said, "Ms. Angelica and Mr. E had to leave around nine, and Mr. Izo and Nylon had to leave so suddenly…" Harumi added in, "It was. But, I guess they didn't expect the movie, or the trips, to last that long."

"You don't suppose they still have curfews, do they?" Gretchen suggested, looking at everyone curiously. "They better not," Curtis said brusquely, "They gon get a kick in da ass if they do!" Harumi laughed at his 'threat,' "If you say so, Curtis."

"Well, girls, peace out," Curtis said dismissively, his pale pink eyes glancing a certain vehicle in the parking lot, "…My folks actually beat me home." His voice had notably dropped, almost to the point of a mumble.

Harumi knew why his voice dropped like that, but because of that, she did not press on the matter. So, she said instead, "Don't stay up all night playing video games! That's all I have to say!"

"Weeeeell," Curtis said playfully, "I don't know about that. There was this one game I was just 'bout tah beat." Gretchen shook her head as she responded, "I'll make sure to tuck him in before midnight." Curtis glared at her as he retorted, "Don't play like that! I ain't no lil child!" When Gretchen gave him a look back, he put two and two together, "…Oh wait. You were bein' serious?"

Harumi and Haruko giggled at the interaction. "Let's just go, Curtis." Gretchen sighed. "Fine, fine." With that, those two bid a last farewell before entering their terrace.

"I swear, Curtis and Gretchen are almost custom-made to be partners." Harumi said as she strolled toward her car. "And, yet, at the same time, they are so different." Haruko muttered, walking beside the taller, older girl. "I guess that's what the battle'll do to some people." Harumi said speculatively, hitting the alarm of her keys that unlocked the car it belonged it.

"Curtis and Gretchen. Is that their names?"

As the icy question reached their ears, Haruko and Harumi's bodies froze up. Haruko was one of those Mamodo unable to sense the presence of another, but the deep voice released dangerous, unfriendly, and fiendish vibes. It almost scared them to death.

Slowly, regrettably, both blonds turned their heads, and their sets of eyes dilated and trembled uneasily when they saw a large Mamodo with a faceless, silver mask and a large, tattered cloak facing the direction of the terrace. His cloak billowed in the imaginary wind, adding to the presentiment of danger.

As a result of her uneasiness, small beads of sweat started to fall down Harumi's face. Never before had she, or Haruko, encountered a person—well, Mamodo—such as this one. _"…What..is…this aura…?"_ She though. Her throat was dry which would explain why she hadn't spoken until now. Swallowing, she asked carefully, "Who…are you?"

"Pardon me," the character rasped apologetically, turning to them, "My name is Phantom." From right behind that large cloak of his, a human stepped from behind, carrying a taupe grey spellbook in his arm, "And I am his partner, Isaac Rodriguez. Quite the pleasure, ladies."

Harumi wanted to respond in order to be courteous, but it was difficult. Despite how polite and well-spoken they appeared, their auras hinted something else. Something continued to make her appear on guard. She felt something lightly grip her leg, and she looked down to see it was Haruko. She was equally frightened, unable to comprehend what exactly was going on or what could possibly happen.

Steeling her nerves, she regained her normal tone of voice and questioned them, "Is there a specific as to why you're here?"

Isaac and Phantom looked at each other. Judging by how they looked, they were thinking the same thing: where to start? Isaac was the one to actually speak, "Hmm…Well, mademoiselle, how should we put this to you? My partner and I are gathering allies. And it seems our leader, Lord Leo, has sights on those two." When he said 'those two,' he motioned his conductor's baton toward the terrace.

Now that she knew her friends were involved, Harumi gained bravado, "For what?" She asked pointedly, "Because I'm getting the feeling it's for something they won't like. Or any of us, for that matter."

"They know not what is about to occur," Phantom stated, "Your emotions are justifiable, miss…" He trailed off, not knowing either of their names. "Harumi Kisamaru," the blonde high school student introduced herself, crossing her arms. "H-Haruko…" The younger girl said demurely.

"Lovely names." Isaac commented gentlemanly. Harumi rolled her blue eyes, registering that as a flirtatious advancement, before demanding, "Anyway…mind telling me what this 'Lord Leo' wants with my friends?"

"I'm afraid that is classified," Phantom responded, "Our cult is esoteric. Only those of interest are allowed to know."

"If you are so-called cult is so-called esoteric," Harumi snorted in a sarcastic tone, "You made the mistake of addressing me. I'm afraid you've gotten me involved now." Seeing as Harumi was getting braver, Haruko decided to speak herself, "Yeah! Besides, we know Curtis and Gretchen a lot. If you tell us—"

"Spare us the folderol, ladies." Isaac interrupted sharply, "As Phantom so subtlety implied, you are not important enough to know our intentions. But, because we are gentlemen, we will provide you with choices," He held one finger, "Your first choice is to leave quietly," he held a second one, "your second choice is you can come with us along with them." And he held one final finger, "and your third choice is that you can perish right where you stand should you pester us any longer."

Well, not a single one of those choices were desirable. Neither Harumi nor Haruko were going to let Curtis and Gretchen deal with whatever mysterious cult thing they were randomly enlisted to join. And they weren't going to join in themselves; no way, no how. So, that left them with the final option, but even then, there were complications.

Haruko and Harumi _never _had been in one, single battle where they were alone.

This would officially be their first battle without help, only themselves. Even then, they had been in very little battles. When they had teamed up with Megumi, Tia, Curtis, and Grechen against Servor and Jerrod, that was their second battle of all-time. Before then, they and Nylon and Izo had went against another opponent at a much earlier date. So, essentially, their battle experience was severely trumped by the seemingly capable team before them.

But what choice did they have?

Harumi turned around and opened the driver's door to her car. Haruko only looked at her silently as Isaac said, "So you've selected the first option. Wise, milady." However, she had only opened the door to place her purse on the front seat and retrieve a certain item: the dark khaki spellbook. "On the contrary, we pick the third." She announced, glaring at them.

"Hm. That is fine with us. We shall play with you." Phantom stated. "We can't fight here, though," Haruko said, "So follow us!" With that, the two blonds dashed off. Isaac and Phantom shook their heads as they followed at their own pace.

"Here we go, Haruko," Harumi said resolutely, "Now isn't the time to get cold feet. We have to do this." Haruko nodded as she replied, "We'll do our very best."

Meanwhile, as the four approached the next, vacant clearing, another team watched them from above, specifically the roof of the terrace. "What do those two idiots think they're doing?" Marjorie groused in disappointment as Talon eyed them, "Uch. Great…Talón, it seems we may have to get back in the game sooner than we think. Curses don't wait."

"Ko kaw (Understood)."

* * *

><p>Curtis gingerly and excessively slowly opened the door to his apartment. "Oh, get in already!" Gretchen shouted irritably as she kicked Curtis in, causing the door to fling wide open. "OW! Damn it, woman, what's wrong with you?" Curtis berated, looking over his shoulder at her from his position on the floor.<p>

"Nothing." Gretchen responded simply as she shut the door, putting the appropriate locks on it. Curtis arose from the floor and looked around the main room. Not a soul was there. "Mm. Guess they ain't awake." He observed.

"Your father's asleep, but I'm in the kitchen, Curtis."

"_Damn."_ Curtis thought disdainfully. "That's cool, ma. I'll be in my room." He said tersely before sprinting to the direction of his room. "Wait!" An adult, African woman appeared around the corner to the kitchen, "How was your…" she trailed off when she heard a little slam from afar, "…day?"

Gretchen sighed and closed her eyes. Like Harumi, she knew the exact reason why Curtis acted so differently around, or even on the subject of, his parents. _"When is he going to get over it?" _Gretchen thought as she looked at Curtis's mother, "Once again, Mrs. Herrakoro. I apologize."

She sighed, "It's all right, Gretchen…"

"_Then why doesn't it seem like that?"_ The burnt umber-haired Mamodo said in her mind. She excused herself and wished her a good night before following Curtis's trail to his room. Strangely enough, she found Curtis lying on the ground with his Nintendo DS Lite in hand.

"You tripped and bumped your head on the edge of the bedpost didn't you?" Gretchen asked, staring blankly at the scene. Her only response was a pained groan. She shook her head as she walked up and kneeled beside her fallen bookkeeper. "Alright. Let me ascertain the damages." She said as she removed his skull cap and checked his head.

Gretchen then suddenly gasped. But what made her gasp wasn't a giant bump or a gruesome wound. Instead, it was a purple, glowing, key-like symbol on his forehead. Now that she examined him more closely, Curtis was sweating profusely and breathing laboriously.

"W-what the hell?" Gretchen exclaimed, eyes widening, "What is that?"

"Your bookkeeper has been cursed."

Gretchen whipped her head in the direction of the voice, seeing Marjorie and Talon against the entrance to Curtis's room. "Who the hell are you two?" She demanded astringently, "Did you do this to him?"

Marjorie sighed, "Try to calm down. We'll explain as soon as you meet us at Rainbow Bridge immediately. And bring your book, too."

In all three situations, the Mamodo and the human parents all thought the same thing: _"What have we gotten into?" _

__**Author Notes**

Phew! Finally got this doozy of a chapter done! And, with it, Zatch Bell: Another Story now has 20 chapters! *cues the streamers and celebratory music* Ahem, anyway, I wouldn't expect the next chapter in awhile. And I say that because of the decreasing amount of time I project in the future. February and March seems like the busiest days of school year ;; And I also say that because the next chapter is pretty intricate because it covers three battles happening simultaneously. I always make sure my readers get quality battles from me.

Anyway, adios and adieu for now!


	21. Chapter 21: Hopeless Situation

**Author Notes**

Hey there, viewers of Zatch Bell: Another Story. Long time, no see. Phew, this is somewhat embarrassing to me as, according to the records, the last time this particularly story was updated was 2/5/2012, more than a year. I must apologize to all of my faithful readers (who may be gone or have deserted the story at this point) for sticking it out while this story was in commission. This author note is to show I have NOT abandoned this story. I will try my best to maintain its flow.

The reasons why that I've been relatively in active is, well, life. This story is not the only one to have suffered immensely. All stories, series, and projects created around the time of last summer were put on hold because senior year in high school was one of the busiest years of my life. Writing big-time stories like this did not find a spot in my schedule. That, and other things kept catching my interest. For that, I again truly apologize. However, with that out of the way, let's move on.

**Disclaimer:** Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). The only things I own that are currently revealed in the story are E, Nylon, Shine, Angelica Tsukoro, Curtis Herrakoro, Gretchen, Harumi Kisamaru, Haruko, Izo Uramori, Myriam Schwazden, Mystrael, Metallix, Professor Linda, Orion, Jade, Shine, Zale Schwazden, Thoria, Cassandra, Vini, Amanda, Phoebe, Samantha, Servor, Jerrod, Phantom, Isaac, Marjorie Barragán, and Talón.

**Chapter 21: Hopeless Situation **

The tense, evening wind howled as Harumi and Haruko faced their slowly approaching opponents, Isaac and Phantom. They were taking this small window of time to rid themselves of any lasting reluctance and fear. It would only burden them against those two.

"All right, ladies," Isaac spoke, opening the spellbook, "You have the stage."

"How very kind of you," Harumi responded unkindly, opening up her spellbook as Haruko walked forward, "Here we go, Haruko! Haosen!" Haruko adopted an archer's stance, and a bow of light materialized in her hands. She promptly pulled back the string and fired an arrow of light toward Phantom.

"I look forward to seeing this tragedy unfold." Isaac said, chuckling light as Phantom raised his single arm toward the oncoming arrow of light, "Seryuga!" In the palm of Phantom's metal hand, a slit appeared and opened up, revealing a red and yellow eye which fired a black and purple electrical beam. Said beam almost instantly disintegrated the Haosen upon contact with it.

Haruko gulped nervously, seeing how ineffective her spell was. "Don't get discouraged, Haruko!" Harumi replied, flipping pages in the dark khaki spellbook before inputting heart energy into it to make it glow, "We have still have more to come! Gigano Haosen!"

In specs of light, a sniper rifle-style bow atop a tripod materialized in front of Haruko, her arms and hands positioned in the appropriate places on it. She promptly took aim at Phantom and discharged a larger, more concentrated arrow of light that surged its way to them.

"Not bad," Phantom commented, holding his arm up again.

"But I'm afraid you still lack proper touch!" Isaac criticized and then recited the next spell, "Argo Oshido!" Suddenly, down the entire length of Phantom's arm, more red and yellow eyes opened up. They then narrowed viciously as they released mauve-colored light to form a sort of forcefield in front of their owner. When Gigano Haosen came into contact with the forcefield, the arrow of light contorted and bended violently until it, too, disintegrated into nothingness.

Haruko gasped, both in shock at seeing her spell being destroyed and in fright at how scary those eyes of Phantom seemed. "…Freaky," Harumi commented as the eyes on Phantom's arm closed.

"Au contraire, ladies," Isaac replied, smirking, "Phantom's eyes are simply the instruments that orchestrate an artistic demise for rebellious dames like yourselves." Harumi narrowed her eyes at the conductor, "I repeat, freaky. Haosen!"

As Haruko adopted her archery stance, Isaac quickly acted, "Oh no you don't! Enough of that! Argo Ezurudo!" More quickly than the arrow of light materializing in Haruko's bow of light, a large red and yellow eye opened horizontally on the face of Phantom's faceless, metal mask. Upon gazing at Haruko's right shoulder, an eye implanted itself onto it.

The spell had almost an immediate effect—Haruko's right arm suddenly went limp, disabling from actually firing Haosen. Haruko's eyes dilated as she looked at her motionless right arm. More fear struck her when she saw the eye symbol on it. "What did you do?!" Harumi questioned irefully, staring at the two.

"Argo Ezurudo temporarily disables motor control in the affected area," Phantom explained, "I'm afraid you cannot perform any more of your marksmanship for some time."

"Allow me to reiterate, ladies," Isaac said, "Phantom's spells are meant to orchestrate your doom in the most thorough and artistic way possible. We plan to punish you for meddling in our affairs." The conductor smirked evilly, relishing the frightened look on Haruko's face, "And it seems your partner has begun to settle into despair."

Immediately upon hearing that, Harumi rushed to her partner's aide and got on her knees, holding Haruko comfortingly but tightly by the shoulders. "Get a grip, Haruko! We can't let them take advantage of us like this!" The blonde human rationalized.

"I-I'm sorry!" Haruko apologized, vividly stressed, "It's…just…can we actually beat them?" Her cerulean eyes stared at Phantom and Isaac and further cowered when she perceived the dark aura around them. "There's such….a huge difference in power between them and us…."

"Yes, of course, we can!" Harumi encouraged optimistically, "I know you're younger and smaller than Phantom, and Isaac is a more experienced partner than me, but you have to remember why we're doing this!"

"My, it is annoying to hear her prate like that." Isaac muttered in complaint, "A most unattractive set of notes."

Phantom ignored the biting criticism of his partner and opted to say instead, "We must settle this soon. Marjorie and Talon are more than likely becoming restless. I even surmise they went to retrieve Curtis and Gretchen themselves at this very moment."

Isaac inwardly cringed, remembering how neither Marjorie nor Talon appreciated detours or tardiness. He also remembered they were one of the stronger teams in the Faudo Cult, and he did not want to incur their wrath. "Agreed," Isaac said as he flipped pages in the taupe grey spellbook, "I am cancelling the Argo Ezurudo spell so that I may perform this next one."

Upon that statement, the eye symbol on Haruko's shoulder closed and vanished, surprising the two girls. "You're not getting soft on us, are you?" Harumi questioned, staring at them. Before Isaac replied with a smart-alecky comment, Phantom said in reply, "Not at all. It is simply because our time is running short, so it is now time to part."

"So, please, ladies," Isaac said, the spellbook in his hands glowing brightly, "Grace the stage with a satisfying crescendo of cries and sobs before the final curtain falls. Argo Oumi Shidoro!"

* * *

><p>The water underneath Odaiba's Rainbow Bridge swayed with calming, oceanic sounds in the dead of night. There were minimal cars going to and fro above head. Despite the tranquility the environment provided, for this particular situation, it symbolized great tension.<p>

On a slab of land, with the bridge itself hovering above it, Marjorie and Talon and Curtis and Gretchen were only meters apart of from each other. "I'll ask again, and it'll be the last time I do this politely," Gretchen said pointedly, "Who are you, and what have you done with my partner?" Curtis's even but labored breathing could be heard over the swaying waters. It felt like that accursed symbol on his forehead was steadily draining his vitality.

"Marjorie Barragán and Talón are our names," Marjorie responded, "And we aren't exactly responsible for the condition your partner is in, but we know what is going on with him."

She held up her hand to stop either of them asking another question or shouting, "Let me finish before you say anything else," the Spanish female stressed and then continued, "Your partner has been cursed by a Mamodo named Leo, leader of the group Talon and I are in—the Faudo Cult. To summarize the situation, you must join us to prevent him, and a few other cursed ones, from dying, and that is by unlocking an ancient warrior known as Faudo. All within four days' time."

The color in both Gretchen's and Curtis's faces rapidly left. They were reduced to a pair of slack-jawed, wide-eyed, and pale-looking messes. _"I-I'm…gonna die in…four days…?"_ Curtis said with disbelief in his mind. _"Curtis…will die?!"_ Gretchen shouted in disbelief in her mind, equally despairing.

"…Who….Who the hell is Faudo?!" Curtis demanded irefully, glaring daggers at the two across from him.

Marjorie and Talon sighed in unison. This was where they expected the opposition to crop up, but it would have to happen sooner or later. Besides, they were sure Curtis valued his life if he was the generic type of bookkeeper. "Faudo is a gigantic, ancient, living weapon," Marjorie answered, "He is currently dormant and unlocking the lock will revive him. Yes, he is a weapon. Yes, reviving him will activate his destructive potential."

Curtis and Gretchen registered the information they were given. When they did, their eyes narrowed viciously as menacing snarls escaped their lips. "So lemme get this straight…" Curtis spoke in an uncharacteristically dark tone, removing the battleship grey spellbook from his person. "To save Curtis's life, we have to potentially sacrifice other lives?" Gretchen growled, slowly reaching behind her to grab her scythe.

"GIMME A BREAK!" The two screamed heatedly in unison.

Quickly, Gretchen dashed for them as the spellbook in Curtis's hand glowed vigorously. "Ligar!" He casted. Gretchen swung her scythe and fired a dark, crescent-shaped projectile at them, specifically Talon. Marjorie jumped to the side as Talon hovered in the air at the same spot. "Ar Shield!" She read the spell flawlessly.

A concentrated, light silver, disc-shaped shield of air formed in front of Talon to block the Ligar. When the shield dispelled, he quickly ascended to avoid a swing of Gretchen's scythe. "Man, ya'll got to be the craziest people I ever met!" Curtis chastised, gritting his teeth, "Ain't no damn way I'm gonna help ya'll with this Faudo shit. Go someplace else!"

"You idiot," Marjorie growled, "You would knowingly sacrifice yourself? I am trying to help you out!"

"Thanks but no thanks," Gretchen state, eyeing at the airborne bird cautiously, "I happen to like the Human World. I guess taking you two will be the first step to putting an end to this crap."

"Ligaruk!" Dark energy coated the blade of Gretchen's scythe, her wristbands, and neckline of her kosode, Thanks to the power-up, her subsequent jump allowed her to easily reach Talon. "One more! Ligar!" Curtis shouted the spell again. "Haaaa!" Gretchen cried out as she gripped her scythe with both hands and swung it down vertically.

"Airzuruk!" Marjorie casted another spell in retaliation. With even quicker speed, Talon effortlessly dashed out of the way of Gretchen's swing, causing the crescent-shaped projectile to fly straight through the water and into its deep depths. Before Gretchen could even register what happened, Talon reappeared behind her. "Airzuruk!" The avian Mamodo then rammed himself into Gretchen's back, sending her immediately into the ground with great force as he flew out of the dust and rubble afterwards.

"Gr-Gretchen!" Curtis shouted in concern. He tried to run over, but he suddenly felt himself weak and was reduced to one knee. _"A-Ah…! This stupid thing…keeps drainin' my energy…"_ Curtis thought as he panted and sweated hard, _"Not to mention, my heart energy is getting' low cuz of it…"_ That last statement was proven by the fact that the battleship grey spellbook ceased glowing, meaning Ligaruk was dispelled.

"You can feel your life force and heart energy slowly depleting, don't you?" Marjorie questioned, eyeing at the glaring Curtis unemotionally, "What do I have to do to get you two to stop?"

"Let us beat you, that's what!" Gretchen answered, springing out of the crater that was made from the impact. Despite the recovery time, she seemed relatively unharmed by the attack. "And, Curtis, if you're low on heart energy, just use our newest spell. You know what it does."

A sudden flash of insight washed through Curtis as he remembered that they indeed had a new spell under their arsenal. And it would work wonders in this situation. "Get of some this…Vampirex Ligaruk!" Curtis rasped, the book glowing brightly.

Upon the spell being said, radiant, glowing energy that resembling the color of peacock feathers flared up in the blade of Gretchen's scythe, her wristbands, and the neckline of her kosode. The wristbands and collar also sprouted small tendrils of the same color as the scythe's blade. The somewhat bright green, blue, and purple colors lit up the dim battlefield. But, for someone of Gretchen's tomboyish nature, it was strange seeing such artistic beauty apart of her.

"Maldígalo todo…Damn it all…" Marjorie groused under her breath as the antique white spellbook glowed and Talon prepared himself. "Garu Airzuruk!" Talon propelled himself to Gretchen whilst spinning, causing a rotating column of air to envelope him.

"Ha! That's no big deal!" Gretchen counterattacked with a simple swing of her scythe when the bird Mamodo got in range. Predictably, Vampirex Ligaruk supplemented Gretchen's already impressive strength, allowing her to stop Talon's advancement cold.

"Don't let her do that you, Talon!" Marjorie shouted to her partner, the glow in her hand glowing brightly. After some seconds of clashing, this glow started to diminish, which greatly confused Marjorie. "What in the…" She mumbled in befuddlement. Before she knew it, the Garu Airzuruk spell was starting to go away, signaled by the stagnating rotations.

"Sorry to say, homegirl," Curtis said, smirking weakly, "Vampirex Ligaruk, even if Gretch is jus' targetin' yo Mamodo, will take a lil bit of yo heart energy each attack."

Marjorie gasped at the explanation, and her face was washed with surprised as Gretchen managed to brutally bat Talon away with her scythe. "Talon!" She exclaimed, going over to aid her fallen partner.

"Yes, that's it." Gretchen said proudly. However, upon saying that, Vampirex Ligaruk cancelled out. "Wh-Wha?!" She cried out; the spell had just been activated, so why in the world was it already gone? There was only one answer to that question. She turned around and saw Curtis lying flat on the ground. "Curtis!" She cried out in concern and rushed over to him.

Curtis groaned, obviously in some sort of pain, lying there sweating and panting laboriously. Underneath his ecru bangs, the symbol glowed brightly. Gretchen stared at it with increasing ire. It was as if that thing was slowly but surely siphoning Curtis's energy.

"Why is this happening?!" Gretchen cried out in anger, hating to see her bookkeeper in this condition.

"I already told you, fool," Marjorie replied irascibly, pinching the bridge of her nose to show her frustration sine she already explained what the issue was. "Your bookkeeper will die because of this curse if you don't join us."

"You bitch!" Gretchen yelled angrily, snatching up her scythe and charging at her, "You'll pay for this!"

Marjorie acted quickly as her antique white spellbook glowed brightly. She knew this would finish this increasingly irritating battle. "Go Airzuru!"

"HAAA!" Gretchen shouted with effort, jumping up and preparing to swing her scythe. She wanted to cleave this woman in half for putting them in this position and for inflicting so much harm on Curtis. In her blind fury, Gretchen failed to notice the extremely quick blur heading toward her. Before she knew it, a massive amount of pain coursed through her body. Her wide celestial blue eyes saw a grayish blur pass by as splotches of blood and a blackish material followed it. Her body suddenly felt robbed of its motor control, forcing her to fall pathetically pass Marjorie.

"G-Gretchen…!" Curtis shouted hoarsely, witnessing the entire event. In that brief moment, Talon had transformed and, with his increased speed, assailed Gretchen by slashing her torso with his outstretched wing. That resulted in the blood flowing out of her body and onto the ground. And, unfortunately, Gretchen's scythe was in the way, causing the weapon to be cleaved in several places and clattering beside the fallen Gretchen.

Talon glided back over to Marjorie as he reverted back to normal, perching on her falconry glove. Marjorie gazed phlegmatically at Curtis and asked in annoyance, "Are you done yet? I'm on a timed schedule."

Curtis growled as he gripped a fistful of grass. He could not believe what he just saw; his partner Gretchen getting handled so quickly by these two. He really did not want to help these people out, but Curtis realized they were getting nowhere. And, from the painful pulsation emanating from the symbol on his forehead, he could not forget that his life was on the line.

So, with a heavy sigh, he finally told Marjorie, "We'll go."

* * *

><p>Myriam allowed an equally ominous look to grace her features, fingering the spellbook, "Excellent," as she perused through the possible spells, the quarter they were fighting could only stare on restlessly. What on earth was going to happen, they all thought in unison. Myriam spoke again, beckoning for her partner's opinion, "Which one? The Test of Willpower, the Test of Strength, or…?"<p>

"The Test of Resolve." Mystreal declared, smirking at the two uneasy Mamodo.

"Very well then." Myriam replied as the lavender-grey spellbook glowed brightly. She was building an immense of heart energy in preparation for the utterance of the spell, attesting to the high level of power this particular spell possessed. Nervous beads of sweat dripped down the faces of Angelica and Kiyo as they watched apprehensively. "Deragio Maborose."

Mystrael closed her eyes as a purple aura outlined her body. Subsequently, her shadow darkened and expanded before diverging into many black tendrils . Holding her hand out toward Zatch and E, the tendrils darted out, heading toward the mat high velocities.

"Dodge it, Zatch, E!" Kiyo instructed them hurriedly.

Obeying, Zatch and E sidestepped out of the way of the tendrils. However, to everyone's surprise, the tendrils continued to advance. It was made obvious that their targets were actually Kiyo and Angelica. The two humans' eyes widened completely, unable to do anything to defend themselves. However, another surprise came, the tendrils attached to their shadows. Immediately afterwards, the massive amounts of shadows shot up, taking the form of multiple boxes of black energy before enclosing themselves on the two bookkeepers.

"K-KIYO!" Zatch shouted.

"Angelica!" E snarled, turning heartedly toward Mystrael and glaring at her hatefully, "What did you do?!"

"That is the least of your concerns." Mystrael replied mystically, opening her eyes and nodding toward the ground. Both Mamodo looked down and saw in horror that more tendrils were present and had already latched onto their shadows. Before they knew it, Zatch and E suffered the same fate as their book owners, resulting in two black boxes towering over the battlefield.

"And, now, we wait." Myriam declared, strolling to a nearby park bench and taking a seat.

"So we do." Mystrael said in accord, exchanging glances between the two boxes, "Deragio Maborose, the Test of Resolve. It entraps my candidates in coffin-like box and forces their deepest fears and insecurities to come to the surface, challenging them to overcome them without letting despair destroy them."

A rather playful and excited grin appeared on Mystrael's features as she muttered one last statement before letting the events run their course, "Or before they commit suicide. Whichever comes first."


End file.
